Jesus condemns those who do not practise what they preach: “Good doctrine should be welcomed but risks being lost because of incoherent behaviour”.
Benedict XVI recalled the lesson of Sunday’s Gospel before the recitation of the Angelus, after which he asked for prayers “in particular for those called to the ministry of teaching, so that they may always witness in their deeds the truth they transmit in their words”.
Speaking to the 40 thousand people present in St Peter’s Square the Pope also spoke about the floods which have hit both Thailand and Italia: “I would like to express my closeness – he said following the Marian prayer – to the people of Thailand affected by serious flooding as well as the populations of Liguria and Tuscany in Italy, recently damaged as a result of heavy rains. I assure them of my prayers”.
"In this Sunday’s liturgy – he had said earlier - the Apostle Paul invites us to approach the Gospel" not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God "(1 Thessalonians 2.13). In this way we can accept with faith the warnings that Jesus speaks to our conscience and behave accordingly. In today's passage, he reproaches the scribes and Pharisees, who had a role of teachers in the community, because their conduct was clearly contrary to the teaching that they rigorously proposed. Jesus emphasizes that they “say but do not do” (Matthew 23.3), and indeed "bind heavy burdens, hard to carry and put them on men's shoulders, but they will not move them with one finger" (Mt 23.4 ). Good doctrine must be accepted, but may be contradicted by inconsistent conduct. This is why Jesus says: "You practice and observe whatever they tell you, but do not act according to their works" (Matthew 23.3). Jesus' attitude is exactly the opposite: He practices the first commandment of love, which he teaches to all, and can say that it is a light and soft weight because he helps us to carry it along with Him (cf. Mt 11: :29-30). "
"We are, therefore, called to follow the Son of God, the Incarnate Word, who expresses the truth of his teaching through fidelity to the will of the Father, through the gift of himself. Blessed Antonio Rosmini writes: "The first teacher forms all the other teachers, as well as the disciples, so that [both the former and latter] exist only by virtue of that first silent, but powerful Magisterium" (Idea of Wisdom 82, in: Introduction to Philosophy, vol. II, Rome 1934, 143). Jesus also strongly condemns vanity, and notes that working 'to be admired by the people "(Mt 23.5) places you at the mercy of human approval, undermining the values that underpin the authenticity of the person.
"The Lord Jesus - concluded Pope - was presented to the world as a servant, and stripping himself completely he lowered himself to the point of giving the most eloquent lesson in humility and love on the cross. The proposal stems from his example of life: "The greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). Let us invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and pray, especially for those in the Christian community who are called to the ministry of teaching, so that they can always witness in their deeds to the truth that they transmit with words ".
Speaking to the 40 thousand people present in St Peter’s Square the Pope also spoke about the floods which have hit both Thailand and Italia: “I would like to express my closeness – he said following the Marian prayer – to the people of Thailand affected by serious flooding as well as the populations of Liguria and Tuscany in Italy, recently damaged as a result of heavy rains. I assure them of my prayers”.
"In this Sunday’s liturgy – he had said earlier - the Apostle Paul invites us to approach the Gospel" not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God "(1 Thessalonians 2.13). In this way we can accept with faith the warnings that Jesus speaks to our conscience and behave accordingly. In today's passage, he reproaches the scribes and Pharisees, who had a role of teachers in the community, because their conduct was clearly contrary to the teaching that they rigorously proposed. Jesus emphasizes that they “say but do not do” (Matthew 23.3), and indeed "bind heavy burdens, hard to carry and put them on men's shoulders, but they will not move them with one finger" (Mt 23.4 ). Good doctrine must be accepted, but may be contradicted by inconsistent conduct. This is why Jesus says: "You practice and observe whatever they tell you, but do not act according to their works" (Matthew 23.3). Jesus' attitude is exactly the opposite: He practices the first commandment of love, which he teaches to all, and can say that it is a light and soft weight because he helps us to carry it along with Him (cf. Mt 11: :29-30). "
"We are, therefore, called to follow the Son of God, the Incarnate Word, who expresses the truth of his teaching through fidelity to the will of the Father, through the gift of himself. Blessed Antonio Rosmini writes: "The first teacher forms all the other teachers, as well as the disciples, so that [both the former and latter] exist only by virtue of that first silent, but powerful Magisterium" (Idea of Wisdom 82, in: Introduction to Philosophy, vol. II, Rome 1934, 143). Jesus also strongly condemns vanity, and notes that working 'to be admired by the people "(Mt 23.5) places you at the mercy of human approval, undermining the values that underpin the authenticity of the person.
"The Lord Jesus - concluded Pope - was presented to the world as a servant, and stripping himself completely he lowered himself to the point of giving the most eloquent lesson in humility and love on the cross. The proposal stems from his example of life: "The greatest among you shall be your servant" (Matthew 23:11). Let us invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and pray, especially for those in the Christian community who are called to the ministry of teaching, so that they can always witness in their deeds to the truth that they transmit with words ".