11/5/2023 - 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

WALKING WITH HEAD HELD HIGH IN HUMILITY

We enter the month of November remembering our dear departed. Some of us still feel hurt at the departure of our loved ones. So, our hearts are filled with sorrow. We can also focus on the fact that we are powerful as we can intercede for our beloved departed with our prayers. This is a beautiful way of expressing love. One of the take-aways from my missionary experience in Africa is the memory of the departed as Ancestors whose memories I cherish and whose life as trail blazers give me courage to take risks to improve the world around me.

Today’s narrative in the gospel shows Matthew's concern for the Christian community of his own time. The gospel text, which focuses on the role of leadership and responsibility in the church. If that were to happen, God's Word would be relevant to our lives today.

Jesus starts off by praising the role of religious leaders in a faithful community. The teachings of the scribes and Pharisees are to be followed in theory, but their practices are to be avoided (Mt 23:2-3). Jesus becomes extremely critical of their teaching elsewhere because their deeds contradict their words. Jesus warns His disciples, "to be on your guard, not against yeast for making bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Mt 23:24, 26).

From the perspective of film production in which I constantly engage in, one of the challenges we encounter is the sync of audio, and video, speech, and the movement of the lips. A lot of work both in time and skill is required in bringing about perfect audio-visual sync. In our daily living a lot of effort is required to bring out a perfect harmony between our words and actions.

Therefore, Jesus invites the religious leaders of His day and the leaders of our church community today to simplicity in today's gospel passage. Negatively speaking, the passage we just heard read, and the rest of Mt. 23, can be summed up by the absence of five unhealthy tendencies:

1.Hypocrisy (Matthew 23:2), defined as "saying one thing and doing another," also in verses 14 and 25

2.Defending oneself (one's frailties and shallowness) by arguing with others to strictly adhere to the rules and by resorting to lofty theology and philosophy (Mt 23:4)

3.Failing to show genuine concern for community members; placing an undue burden on them by demanding obedience (Mt 23:4)

4.Treachery by introducing convoluted rules that the ordinary folks do not grasp and thus cheat them of goods and services.

5.Using their authority for self-aggrandizement, such as by putting on a show or seeking praise (Mt 23:5); abusing the power that comes with leadership positions (Mt 23:6-7).

If we're being completely honest with ourselves, we'd realize that these tendencies aren't theirs alone, but rather our own. That's why today's gospel text is directed both at the crowds and at the disciples (Mt 23:1). Jesus encourages them to practice what I refer to as simplicity and humility. This merely entails separating our sense of self from the labels we're given for the functions we perform (23: 8-10). Jesus calls on us as church leaders to acknowledge God the Father's authority in all that we do.

The first reading today encourages us to think about our relationship with God the Father, which is based on the covenant. Humbling ourselves in God's presence helps us come into harmony with our inner beings and develop greater empathy for those around us.

I am reminded of a training in pastoral competence many years ago when the presenter challenged us to ask the following question on a daily basis as self-examination of personal lifestyle: What goes in front of you in your personal encounter of the world around you? A God of compassion, a God of judgment or a Human with a frozen heart with no feeling! Knowing I am unconditionally loved by God, frees me to love others from the depths of my heart.

Fr Tom Kunnel, C.O.