The greatest among you must be your servant. Matthew 23:1-12

Today's Readings

The greatest among you must be your servant. 

Matthew 23:1-12

Reading 1, Mal 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10

¹⁴ Cursed be the rogue who has a male in his flock but pays his vow by sacrificing a blemished animal to me! For I am a great king, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and among the nations my name inspires awe.'

¹ 'And now, priests, this commandment is for you.

² If you will not listen, if you will not sincerely resolve to glorify my name, says Yahweh Sabaoth, I shall certainly lay a curse on you and I shall curse your blessing. Indeed I will lay a curse, for none of you makes this resolve.

⁸ But you yourselves have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to lapse by your teaching. Since you have destroyed the covenant of Levi, says Yahweh Sabaoth,

⁹ so I in my turn have made you contemptible and vile to the whole people, for not having kept my ways and for being partial in applying the law.

¹⁰ 'Is there not one Father of us all? Did not one God create us? Why, then, do we break faith with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 131:1, 2, 3

¹ [Song of Ascents] Yahweh, my heart is not haughty, I do not set my sights too high. I have taken no part in great affairs, in wonders beyond my scope.

² No, I hold myself in quiet and silence, like a little child in its mother's arms, like a little child, so I keep myself.

³ Let Israel hope in Yahweh henceforth and for ever.

 

Gospel 

The greatest among you must be your servant. 

Matthew 23:1-12

 

¹ Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,

² 'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.

³ You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practise what they preach.

⁴ They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!

⁵ Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,

⁶ like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,

⁷ being greeted respectfully in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

⁸ 'You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and you are all brothers.

⁹ You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.

¹⁰ Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.

¹¹ The greatest among you must be your servant.

¹² Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.

Reading 2, 1 Thes 2:7b-9, 13

⁷ when we could have imposed ourselves on you with full weight, as apostles of Christ. Instead, we lived unassumingly among you. Like a mother feeding and looking after her children,

⁸ we felt so devoted to you, that we would have been happy to share with you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, so dear had you become.

⁹ You remember, brothers, with what unsparing energy we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you while we were proclaiming the gospel of God to you.

¹³ Another reason why we continually thank God for you is that as soon as you heard the word that we brought you as God's message, you welcomed it for what it really is, not the word of any human being, but God's word, a power that is working among you believers.