You have only one Father,
and he is in heaven;
you have only one Teacher,
the Christ. MT 23:9, 10
RUTH 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17
My Soul's Beloved,
Reading the account of Ruth's life, we know, Lord, that each one of us has a divine purpose, and when we seek to discern God's will and do it, we will be blessed and not just we, O Lord, but generations to come as well. Ruth's devotion to her mother-in-law did not go unnoticed. Not only was she praised by all who knew Naomi, but also by Boaz, her kinsman. It is precisely when life seems dreariest and darkest that we must never lose hope for You, O Lord, are constantly at work to draw good out of every difficult and painful circumstance in our lives.
God always watches over us. We are never alone, even when we think the whole world is against us. God will send people into our lives to look out for us and to be the light that will illumine our path. Sometimes, Beloved, it seems that our prayers fall on deaf ears. Our cries meet silence. We feel alone, and faith and hope grow dim in the increasing darkness that invades our souls. Yet, Lord, we know this is not true. You have made a Covenant with us, a Covenant of Love, and You have espoused us to Yourself. You are a far greater, more loving, and powerful Lover than Boaz ever was. We are betrothed to You, and You, Beloved Bridegroom of our souls, will neither fail nor disappoint us.
Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, well-to-do and of Elimelech’s clan. His name was Boaz.
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Let me go into the fields and glean among the ears of corn in the footsteps of some man who will look on me with favour.’ And she said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.’ So she set out and went to glean in the fields after the reapers. And it chanced that she came to that part of the fields which belonged to Boaz of Elimelech’s clan.
Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter, and understand this. You are not to glean in any other field, do not leave here but stay with my servants. Keep your eyes on whatever part of the field they are reaping and follow behind. I have ordered my servants not to molest you. And if you are thirsty, go to the pitchers and drink what the servants have drawn.’ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground. And she said to him, ‘How have I so earned your favour that you take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered her, ‘I have been told all you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, and how you left your own father and mother and the land where you were born to come among a people whom you knew nothing about before you came here.’
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when they came together, the Lord made her conceive and she bore a son. And the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has not left the dead man without next of kin this day to perpetuate his name in Israel. The child will be a comfort to you and the prop of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is more to you than seven sons has given him birth.’ And Naomi took the child to her own bosom and she became his nurse.
And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name. ‘A son has been born for Naomi’ they said; and they named him Obed. This was the father of David’s father, Jesse.
PSALM 127(128):1-5
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
MATTHEW 23:1-12
My Soul's Beloved,
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, well-to-do and of Elimelech’s clan. His name was Boaz.
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Let me go into the fields and glean among the ears of corn in the footsteps of some man who will look on me with favour.’ And she said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.’ So she set out and went to glean in the fields after the reapers. And it chanced that she came to that part of the fields which belonged to Boaz of Elimelech’s clan.
Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter, and understand this. You are not to glean in any other field, do not leave here but stay with my servants. Keep your eyes on whatever part of the field they are reaping and follow behind. I have ordered my servants not to molest you. And if you are thirsty, go to the pitchers and drink what the servants have drawn.’ Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground. And she said to him, ‘How have I so earned your favour that you take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered her, ‘I have been told all you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, and how you left your own father and mother and the land where you were born to come among a people whom you knew nothing about before you came here.’
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And when they came together, the Lord made her conceive and she bore a son. And the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord who has not left the dead man without next of kin this day to perpetuate his name in Israel. The child will be a comfort to you and the prop of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you and is more to you than seven sons has given him birth.’ And Naomi took the child to her own bosom and she became his nurse.
And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name. ‘A son has been born for Naomi’ they said; and they named him Obed. This was the father of David’s father, Jesse.
PSALM 127(128):1-5
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
MATTHEW 23:1-12
My Soul's Beloved,
In the world, injustice abounds. This has always been so. Generation after generation comes and goes, but the rule of might is right has always dominated over the rule of justice for all. Those in power, at the time when You addressed these words to Your disciples and those who came to listen to You, were no different from despots who have sneered at the poor, robbed them, withheld justice from them, and punished and crushed them if they dared to speak.
'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' This has always been true. In the world, it is the elite few with obscene amounts of wealth and power who use it to crush the will of the people. You were unafraid in calling out the scribes and the Pharisees for failing the poor, and using to their advantage the ignorance of the people, to lay on them burdens too heavy to bear. Sadly, even spiritual leaders, all through history, have used their positions of power to take advantage of the poor, the weak, and the voiceless.
Today, You remind us that while all human beings are subject to concupiscence and those with power and authority often prove to have feet of clay, You can be trusted always. You alone are perfect, and Your authority is above every other authority and power. If we listen to You and obey Your commands, we will never go astray. You are our Teacher, our Father, our Brother; there is none like You, Lord, and if we follow in Your footsteps, model our lives on Yours, imitate You in all things, then our salvation is sure.
Addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.
‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
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