I recently introduced to you my vocation promoter, Father Jose Vicente, the town priest when I was a teenager. A few months ago, I introduced you to Bernabe, my home parish sacristan from the same time in my life. The following story includes both, plus a seminarian, Rafael (who is not the same Rafael that went in the casket). Father Jose Vicente promoted the vocation to the priesthood for Rafael, like he did for me. In Seminary Rafael began to follow a kind of Theology that focused more on the poor.

It was the day of the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral when the bishop consecrates the holy oils for the sacraments. Father Jose Vicente took Bernabe and Rafael with him to attend the Mass. There was a luncheon for priests and seminarians after the Mass. Father Jose Vicente needed to run an errand in town right after Mass and left Bernabe with Rafael at the Cathedral.

Father Jose Vicente took longer than expected and Rafael got tired of waiting for him outside. He considered whether he should take Bernabe inside or not. He decided to leave him alone outside waiting for Father Jose Vicente, and then Rafael went in alone. When Father Jose Vicente came back and found out what had happened, he was furious. He told Rafael that he needed to evaluate his beliefs on the Theology that focused on the poor.

Congruency between what we say and what we do is a difficult thing. This lack of congruency between what we teach and what we do is precisely what the Lord criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for in today’s gospel. This gospel reading is paired with an excerpt from the prophet Malachi, in which God reprimanded the priests of the time for turning aside from the way and causing many to falter by their instruction. The priests were not even teaching right, much less practicing properly.

The Lord talks about the chair of Moses. Moses was the lawmaker. The Lord’s words not only apply to those who teach the commandments of God, but they are also applicable to all of us. We all somehow teach through our words and deeds. The Lord’s words weigh more on religious leaders who have the responsibility of leading people spiritually with consequences beyond this world. To preach and live by what we preach is one of the most challenging things for us preachers.

Pope John Paul I said that as a young priest he was told that, “In teaching young children you teach them not so much what you know as what you are.” This is standard advice for anyone with children under their care: parents, teachers, catechists. The holy pope said one thing that I remind parents of often, especially at baptisms: “The first religious book children read is the parents themselves.”

The Lord says, “You have but one teacher.” It is him. The Lord is the Teacher because he is the truth. He is the Teacher because his humanity did not have the handicap of sinfulness which makes err.

Let us humbly ask the Lord to grant us his grace to learn from him and be able to teach others especially with our deeds.