Like he has done at other times, Jesus criticizes the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees, admonishing them to leave behind their arrogance and to be humble servants. How can we be servants? It certainly does not mean being a doormat for everyone. As a Church we try to reach out to the community, to be helpful and collaborate. I remember when I was the pastor in Tupelo, we did a lot to collaborate with the community, from hosting 4 AA meetings a week, to having rehearsals of the community theater, to even hosting a Methodist church’s daycare program for more than a year when their facilities were destroyed by a tornado, when the other Methodist churches in town refused their pleas for help. Usually these groups were very cooperative and very gracious, but sometimes, we had a really bad experience with a group, and it would put a damper on what we were trying to do as a parish. In Lent, it is a good time to look to see how we are being servants in our lives, the way Jesus was a servant. And being a servant sometimes means challenging people and saying words that are sometimes difficult for others to hear. How are we reaching out to our brothers and sisters?
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