Do what they say.. not what they do.

Good Day Brothers and Sisters !

May the Lord give you his peace !

 In Todays Gospel Jesus is talking with the crowds and the disciples.  He reminds them that the Pharisees and the Scribes have taken over the seats at the head of the temples.   They should listen to them, doing what it is that they say, but not to act as they do. 

 The Pharisees were telling them to do one thing, and then after they left the temple to go out and do another.   Jesus really did not intend for this to be the case.  

 It is easy to tell others to do things and it is quite another to follow our own advice.  All of humanity is comprised of sinners.  We try and we fail.     The truth is that try as we might, we will eventually fall into sin   at some point in our lives.  They may not be great or terrible sins, but sins none the less.   

 I choose to believe in the goodness of people.  Why you say ?   Well its pretty simple.  I believe that each person baptized into the Body of Christ is a dwelling place of the Spirit.  As the Spirit is part of the trinity ( God), and God is good, therefore there is at least some good in each of us.   Therefore it is logical and precise to say that some good dwells in each person.

There is some point of sacredness about every person. 

 I also see that seed of the Spirit almost like a tool.  Its not what you have that counts, its what you do with it.   Tools can be used to build    

 things that are beautiful, usefull and productive.  Ont he other hand  they can also be used to make things that are destructive or wastefull.  The choices fall in hearts, minds, and consciences of the people who are charged with them. 

 Your soul works, at a small degree in the same way.  You need to use the tools you have been given in order to build something beautiful.

Using what you have been given in order to make the best of those things, and to help your brothers and sisters on the way while you do. 

Jesus wanted the people to learn the lessons, the tools, in order to building something good, but not to follow the example and use the tools for bad.  

I think its also important to note that Jesus never said they were bad people, just that they did wrong things. 

We have some of the best tools.  Our prayer life, our conscience, and our faith.  Within our tools there are also a host of helps along the way.   The important thing is the get the tools that work for you, and make the very best out of them that you can.

 Todays reading was Mathew :26 +… Jesus in this reading leaves us with the thought that the one who wishes to be the greatest leader, needs to be the servant of all.  Indeed,  our world leaders could take this example to heart.