Morning Prayer, Saturday August 22

with Mary O’Brien

Mary reflects on the message from today’s Gospel (Mt 23:1-12) and how we must be wary of those whose message is one of hypocrisy, “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.” She quotes a line from the Rite of Ordination when the candidate is told to: “Believe what you read; teach what you believe; practice what you teach.”

Unlike the Pharisees, we must humble ourselves, not seeking a seat at the front, or a place at the top table. For as Jesus instructs the disciples in today’s Gospel: “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who raises himself up will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself, will be raised up.”