Whoever exalts himself will be humbled....

Ru 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17
Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz, of the clan of her husband Elimelech. Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter,” and she went.

The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech. Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter! Do not go to glean in anyone else’s field; you are not to leave here. Stay here with my women servants. Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them; I have commanded the young men to do you no harm. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels the young men have filled.”

Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him, “Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?” Boaz answered her: “I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously.”

Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as man and wife, the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!”

Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him his name, at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi. They called him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Mt 23:1-12
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’

As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Both Ruth and today's gospel reveal that a sincere love for God results in healthy changes in human attitudes. As I draw closer to Him, I have begun to realize that the true worth of my life isn't determined only by my overt actions or words, because these are only done and spoken to create a pleasing image of myself which serves to impress others and hopefully get people to “like” me either in a professional or a personal interaction.

God looks within our hearts to examine our motives to see if our behavior is merely self-seeking or genuinely self-giving, for He created us to be like Himself, to resemble His Son Christ Who, through purest love, gave His life for our salvation.

In today’s first reading Ruth, a Moabite, a foreigner married to an Israelite, is presented to illustrate her piety toward God and family, highly valued qualities by the Israelites. When Ruth's father-in-law and both of his sons died, her mother-in-law Naomi was left virtually alone when the wife of one son returned to her family's home.

Ruth, however, told Naomi that she was determined to remain with her to share her entire life, even to worshipping her God. The two journeyed to Bethlehem, Naomi's ancestral home, where an interesting series of events resulted in Ruth marrying a prominent member of Naomi's family, Boaz, who was drawn to her by her genuine kindness, integrity and her gift of faith. Commentaries tell us this story is historically true and shows that Ruth, the foreigner, now married into David's line is related to Christ Who is the universal Savior.

Christ, in today's gospel, humbles the Pharisees and Scribes by describing their pretension and hypocrisy, for while their teachings have some validity, their moral example, if followed by their students and converts, would make them victims of their instructors' sins and with them be excluded from the kingdom of heaven.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m really all that different from the religious leaders of Jesus' day, who are often “outed” by Jesus as dense and judgmental. I catch myself wanting to impress people by how I look or inflate the importance of my job. I really don’t mean to, but at times during a conversation with someone else I may embellish my daily routine to show them that I am devout, or tell them how much time I spend in prayer each day while at the same time forming a judgment about people who don't have “important” jobs, don't look as “polished” as I do, and even those who pray differently or less publicly, or something that does not “fit” my standards.

Just as there is nothing wrong with the phylacteries or tassels of the religious leaders in Jesus' time, there is nothing inherently wrong with titles in front of our names, having good jobs, or wanting to be holy. But as Jesus cautions us in today's gospel about titles and honors, he seems to be asking what priority these things have in our lives. How important are they? Have they become the focus of our lives?

Jesus is clear and direct: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” We must be servants for others, he says. Nothing is more important than caring for others and tending to those who have less than we do.

Jesus defended the weak and vulnerable of his day. A devout Jew, he broke with many traditions of his day, standing by lepers, speaking with women and making friends with tax collectors. He shows us with his life how to be a servant and how to stand up for those who have no one else. Carrying out that call from Jesus is not easy and may cause discomfort in our lives, but it is clearly what we are called to. Be a servant. Be humble. Don't judge. Don't move toward honors but away from them. This is going to be hard to do for me—but I must do it if I want to imitate Jesus.

Jesus is not leaving us to deal with all of these challenges alone, but is there with us in those challenges. We will fall and fail and still, when we sit quietly opening our hearts at the end of the day and listen, we can feel the deepest love Jesus has for us and know that tomorrow we can try again.