But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, he who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader, because Christ is the only Leader for you. Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.
REFLECTION:
Read: The prophet denounces cheating, violence, betrayal, and defilement of the Covenant. On the contrary, Paul reveals his commitment to the Gospel, his readiness to give up life for it. Jesus criticizes the mismatch between the words and the acts of spiritual leaders.
Reflect: It is only in God the word and the deed are perfectly identical. What God utters, is. In our human lives, we often struggle with the mismatch of our words and deeds. Whether in marriage or priesthood or religious life, we solemnly profess vows and commitment, but in living them, we may fail in varying degrees. However, we shall not be found wanting in our sincere desire and effort to match our words with deeds. God, who sees the heart, will be the judge of our authenticity.
Pray: Pray for those who are in leadership roles in the Church, that their lives may match what they preach, and thereby glorify God.
Act: Recite a decade of the Rosary for the leaders of the Church.