“INDEED THUS SHALL BE BLESSED THE MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD” (Ps 128:4)

⏰Saturday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time 1 (20 August 2021 – Memorial of St. Bernard)

📖Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11, 4:13-17; Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4, 5 (R.v.4); Matt 23:1-12

Yesterday, I had a beautiful discussion with a brother priest. Our discussion centered on the kind of life we live as priests. He reminded me that priesthood is a state of life which we must use to live out our baptismal identity. By that he means that every priest must first remember that he is a Christian who must be judged by Christian principles. That means, a priest is not exempt from the call to righteousness.

Indeed, every Christian is expected to be righteous as the heavenly is (cf. Matt). We are expected to live our lives in awareness of God’s presence in us. That would make us live lives of internal conversion instead of living hypocritical lives which Jesus condemned in the Pharisees (Matt 23:1-12).

Don’t ever forget! It is not what people see that matters but what God sees in us. Yet, we are expected to be examples that others must follow.

When we have done our best to remain righteous and in the presence of God, our righteous deeds would always attract God’s blessings to us. That was the experience of Ruth in the First Reading. It was her good deeds that earned her a place in the heart of Boaz, thus making her a part of the lineage of Jesus, being the great grandmother of David.

May God help us in daily journey of faith to be inspiring agents of evangelization and may his doors of blessing continually be opened to us. Amen.

Kindly continue to journey with me in prayers today, as I come to the 5th day of my novena, that I may remain an authentic witness for Christ in the world.

Have a faithful and successful weekend. Peace be with you.