Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Matthew (23: 1-12) in which Jesus says, ‘The greatest among you will be your servant’.

Fr Paul says this chapter has the harshest things Matthew says about the scribes and Pharisees. He introduces a seven-fold curse on them. Keeping in mind that the scribes and the Pharisees were lawyers and strict observers of the Law, if two laws clashed, the scribes would be the ones to sort it out. Often, the strict observance of the Law made them lose sight of the real purpose of the Law.

Mindful of today’s Gospel, Fr Paul says, we might reflect on the following question, as was asked in the Gospel, ‘Do I practice what I preach?’