Saturday, August 26, 2017 20th Week in Ordinary Time 1st reading: Ruth 2.1-3, 8-11; 4.13-17 Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12
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.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the
Assimilated Life Experience)
Matthew lists the following titles to avoid: “Father”, “Master”, “Teacher”, and “Leader”. If we take Matthew literally, we’d have to deal with funny consequences like having to delete the word “Pangulo” (leader) from the presidential seal’s “Sagisag ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas”. What is left would be a good campaign material for politicians belonging to the Sagisag clan. We’d have problems with “President” (another term for leader). Shorten it to “Pres” and you confuse him with the Press Secretary. Shorten it to “Dent” and you could be misunderstood as taunting the President for its lack of teeth in implementing his campaign promises.
Dep-Ed would have to issue a memorandum prohibiting the use of “Teacher”. Students would be more than happy to use the term “mentor” to get back at their school tormentors, and do so with impunity.
Priests should then be called “fads” or “derps” (short for father). But “fads” is too close to “fad”. Surely, priesthood is not about fashion or craze. Neither can we call them “Derps” (sounds like herpes) without being misunderstood as linking them to promiscuity.
We would also have to address the head of the family some other way. Should we use “Erpats” (“father” in reverse)? But the term is too close to “air pots” (thermos) and might be taken as insult by hot-tempered fathers.
The bottom line is that we cannot always take the bible literally. –(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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