Saturday 21 August 2021
St Pius X
Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17. See how the Lord blesses those who fear him – Ps 127(128):1-5. Matthew 23:1-12.
They do not practise what they preach
There’s nothing new under the sun. Jesus critiques the leadership of first century Palestine in words that resonate today: ‘They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.’ We are weighed down by paperwork, procedures and protocols; according to the ever-expanding bureaucracy, the only solution to humanity’s wayward behaviour is red tape. Perhaps the secularisation of society has resulted in leaders who have no belief in the invisible world of spirit, and therefore of the good influence of the Holy Spirit. The ‘scribes and the Pharisees’ of Jesus’ day were like them: the only way they imagined a docile population was a beleaguered population. In contrast, Jesus was a free Spirit committed to giving people Life. The Law or the Spirit – which will be master? St Paul: ‘For freedom Christ has set us free!’
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