St. Pius Ⅹ , Pope 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17

 Naomi had a well-to-do kinsman,

Boaz, from the clan of her husband Eli­me­lech. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to pick up the left-over grain in the field whose owner will allow me that favor.” Naomi said, “Go ahead, my daugh­ter.” So she went to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. It happened that the field she entered belonged to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech.

 Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go away from here to glean in anyone else’s field. Stay here with my women servants. See where the harvesters are and follow behind. I have ordered the men not to molest you.

They have filled some jars with water. Go there and drink when you are thirsty.” Bowing down with her face to the ground, she exclaimed, “Why have I, a foreigner, found such favor in your eyes?”

Boaz answered, “I have been told all about you – what you have done for  your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, how you have gone with her, leaving your own father and mother and homeland, to live with a  people you knew nothing about before you came here. 

So Ruth was taken by Boaz and became his wife. Yahweh made her conceive and give birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, “Bless­ed be Yahweh who has provided you today with an heir. May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and stay in your old age, for he is born of a daughter-in-law who loves you and is worth more than seven sons.”

Naomi took the child as her own and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him his name, saying, “A son has been born for Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, who was David’s father.

 

Ps 128:1b-2, 3, 4, 5

See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Matthew 23:1-12

 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

 “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them.

They do everything in order to be seen by people; so they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first place at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and being greeted in the marketplace and being called ‘Master’ by the people.

 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.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

Leaders are there to preserve order. Without leadership there would be chaos. That is why Jesus counsels his disciples to respect the office of the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. This office symbolizes authority and order.

Sometimes, unworthy men and women occupy it. They desecrate the office. But it's the person, not the office that betrayed the trust of the people. For when a good man or woman comes to take it, they will do wonders and preserve good order by the wise use of power and authority.

And so, it is the office that must be preserved. The people come and go, some of them good, some of them bad. But the office remains. So if a bad leader is deposed, we must remember that it is the person that we dislike, not at the office he or she inadequately represented.