Whatever we proclaim to others we must be able to turn that into our deeds daily. This was unlike the Pharisees and Scribes who did not practice what they preached. All that is said must be put into action straight away and we must follow the footsteps and teachings of Jesus if we were to find his way, truth, and life. Let us serve the Lord with humility and put away our prideful selves in our mission to bring the Gospel to all and to the ends of the earth.
Jesus also wanted to tell his own disciples and religious leaders about the temptations to see honours and titles that draw attention to ourselves instead of God and His words. Pride will tempt us to put ourselves first above others. There will only be One Father and Teacher for all. All others are just mere disciples following in His footsteps.
We are thus reminded to Respect God for His ways that incline us to humility and simplicity of heart. We should seek the true One God. True humility should be in self-understanding and truth in action. God is the first and ultimate Father “from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph 3:15).
Today Church leaders are Reflecting on the Church as the People of God, Pope Francis re-echoes the teaching of Vatican II that Christian leadership is both synodal and communal “The Bishop is both teacher and disciple. He is a teacher endowed with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit, he proclaims to the faithful the word of truth in the name of Christ, head and shepherd. But he is a disciple when knowing that the Spirit has been bestowed upon every baptized person, he listens to the voice of Christ speaking through the entire People of God” (Document on the Synods. 2018), making it “infallible in credendo” (Evangeli Gaudium, 119). Indeed, “the entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One (Jn 2:20, 27), cannot err in matters of belief. They manifest this special property by means of the whole people’s supernatural discernment in matters of faith when from the bishops down to the last of the lay faithful’ they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 12).
By : Joseph Yzelman