Don't call no one on earth your Father!

Unsavory Priests

Have you ever known or heard of a bishop or a priest who really made the church look unsavory?

Lust for power is such a gross thing and it’s really gross for those who use Religion to get there. Religion should help you to be good not be an obstacle for becoming like God.

But you’ll notice that people, because we don’t want to be hypocrites, that we adjust our morality, according to the way we live.

This law, for example, to write Deut 6:4-7 on the forehead is a good thing. So the Jews still wear these blocks and these leather straps around their head and their arms when they pray.

So too I, more lace more grace, and the worship can become about the trappings and the honors, like we’re just cos-playing (costume playing) Church instead of actually going to Church.

Hard Saying

What Jesus is saying is obviously for me, and for our time.

Call no man Father, Call no one Master, Call no one Rabbi

You have one God the Father, You have one Master, the Messiah, Jesus, You have one Teacher, the Holy Spirit!

Has a religious person ever said, “Just listen to me! I have all the answers!”? Sure.

Have I acted this way…probably. I’m sorry!!!

“I don’t like religion because it is full of hypocrites!” I’ll take some responsibility for this. I’ll try not to lay a burden on you that I’m not willing to carry myself.

“Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart” - Mt 11:28

Doing things out of love makes everything sweeter & lighter.

Is this meant for me the priest? Can I nullify the law of Levi?! or worse, the law of Christ? Absolutely I can. But you did n’t come here to hear me preach to myself!

What about you? Do you desire earthly titles? Do you desire letters behind your name?

Accountant, Coach, Keeper of the Peace, Distributor, engineers/craftsman, homebuilders, General/Captain, farmer, landlord, Author, Protector, Provider, Homemaker, lawmaker, Judge, Insurance agent, Bartender, Chef, Actor/Entertainer, Messenger/Delivery people

You can do all these things, they aren’t bad to do, but you can do these things for yourselves and not for God! But if you account, it should point to God, meaning you do it honestly and accurately. If you build a home, yes thats great, but you are acting in the image of God who provides us with our heavenly home! If you are a cook, you are feeding God’s creation with your ability! As a Christian, you stand in for God!

Do I hold power? Sure. Will I misuse it? Hopefully not.

But if my vocation becomes just a means to live I will fall. If my vocation becomes a prayer, moving in trust, we’ll make it.

But it is so easy for the leader to become corrupted.

Pharisees

They were called Rabbi/Master/Father

The Church doesn’t use Rabbi, but in Phm10

Philemon 10 NABRE

I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment,

1 John 2:12–13 NABRE

I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.

1 Corinthians 4:14–15 NABRE

I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

2 Timothy 1:11 NABRE

for which I was appointed preacher and apostle and teacher.

Christ wants us to imitate Him, in his teaching of truth, in our mastery over ourselves against our wicked desires, and our teaching of others, and in sharing his Fatherhood. We share our being with Him and He is meek and humble of heart.

For example:

Catechism of the Catholic Church The Fecundity of Marriage

2367 Called to give life, spouses share in the creative power and fatherhood of God. “Married couples should regard it as their proper mission to transmit human life and to educate their children; they should realize that they are thereby cooperating with the love of God the Creator and are, in a certain sense, its interpreters.

And you are to become ever more a child, not prideful: CCC 526

Catechism of the Catholic Church The Christmas Mystery

we must humble ourselves and become little. Even more: to become “children of God” we must be “born from above” or “born of God.” Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us.

Martin de Porres - He was helping an old priest who was hurling insults at him, being a mixed race man, mocking his mixed blood. Martin left the room laughing! He was caring for Christ, not for this man, but due to his humility of self, won over this priest. He came in the next day smiling saying “Hi Father, are you still angry today?!”

So relax, don’t take yourself so seriously. You aren’t that big of a deal, treat others as yourself, and know that you are God’s. And then, as God’s child, you are a pretty big deal!