Saturday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time August 26, 2023

Fr. Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for Saturday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time

August 26, 2023, Matthew 23:1-12

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082623.cfm

A Humble Authority?

We all want to be accepted and loved. We can probably remember times when that didn’t happen and know how much it hurt. The world in us forces this disposition on others by making our importance felt. Jesus did not live this way.

He doesn’t want us to seek the honor of any human person. We don’t need it. We have his honor. Think of the example that Jesus set for us: he was born in poverty; he lived and worked as a layman for 30 years; he didn’t belong to any priestly tribe or sect such as the Pharisees and scribes.

Through the eyes of an ordinary layperson, Jesus was well aware of how the religious elite acted and behaved. Yes, they did everything correctly by the book, but how sad that Jesus couldn’t share His Father’s Presence with them because our hearts were far from God.

Blessed Antonio Rosmini, the founder of the Institute of Charity, wrote a book, The Five Wounds Of The Church. One of the wounds was the distance bishops put between themselves and their priests and the priests put between themselves and the people of God. Pray your priests and bishops have the attitude of John the Baptist. Speaking of Jesus, he said, “he must increase, I must decrease.”

Gospel Challenge:

How many problems in the world would be solved if people would not look down on others but look up to them to see the face of Christ? Right now is a good time to repent from the sin of pride – seeing myself better than anyone else.

Peace everyone.

IGNITE THE FIRE!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
pastor

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