Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

Readings of the day: RB 21 The Deans of the Monastery

Mass: Is 1:10, 16-20; Resp Ps 50; Mt 23:1-12

The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Jesus’ words contradict contemporary ways of thinking where the richest, strongest, fastest, smartest, and best looking are served and taken care of. As are St Benedict’s qualifications for the deans of the monastery, that is, those selected to serve and take care of the needs of those placed under them. Deans are selected because of their upright lives and the wisdom of their teaching. If a dean becomes prideful, she is given ample opportunity to humble herself. If she is unwilling to change for the better, the dean is removed from her position. We are meant to serve God and one another with our God-given gifts and talents as well as with any power, prestige, and authority granted us.  

DO NOT BE CALLED ‘MASTER’; YOU HAVE BUT ONE MASTER, THE CHRIST.

We are called to live the joy that comes from the encounter with Jesus,

to overcome our selfishness, and to move beyond our comfort zone.

(Pope Francis, Twitter, Feb. 27, 2018)