"If you don’t listen to me and do not give glory to my name…" Someone might be tempted to think that these words are not worthy of God, might seem to him that they express egoism and pride. But what does it mean to give glory to the name of God?

The one who is familiar with the Bible knows that God receives glory from those who obey Him. Obeying God is to love the poor, the orphan and the widow, working out justice, love and reconciliation Obeying the commandments, call one’s attention to love the other! Giving God His glory means to show, by one’s life, as a family and as a society, that God is love, merciful, who wants a relationship and wants to participate in one’s life, be his friend! The one who does not live these truths cannot say that belongs to the people of God, and would give false witness of God, and make Him known as unjust, violent, greedy, egoist. If one believes that one is created by the same God who created the others, why would one behaves wickedly with others? Would God not be offended and betrayed by such behavior? He wants to make known the seriousness of the situation of the one who ignores to love the other saying: "I will send on you a curse…"! It is a very stong and sharp word. No one shall remain in error after listening to such a promise!

The warning God said through His prophet Malachy is, first and foremost, addressed to the leaders of the people, the priests. The poor look up at them to find an example of how to please God.

Jesus, in today’s Gospel, is in line with the same prophecy, putting on guard the people about the behaviour of the ones who are suppose to teach God’s commands. In His days these were the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were very good at words, but with their lives they showed the opposite! So the Lord said: "…practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do…". Today, in the Christian community, the same thing can be said to bishops and priests: they are the ones who teach the ways of God, they are the ones, as humanly as they can be, sometimes, don’t give the right example, don’t live according to the Gospel. It’s true, the presbyters are and remain human beings, week, fragile, tempted by the evil one. It should not surprise you to find out that in the life of some priests there is disobedience, weaknesses, contradictions with what they teach.

The word of Jesus is for you: do you live according to the teaching of the Gospel, even though the priest who preaches it is not able to do it? His words have divine authority. You live in harmony with the holy words of God, and you yourself will be a light, a star that accompanies the other to the true source of life.

To His disciples Jesus teaches the humble way, the only way that keeps one firm in the heart of God. Do not think of yourself higher than the others. Do not pretend honorary titles, don’t look for the way of empty glory. Jesus doesn’t probides to call "father" someone who gave you and is giving you divine and eternal life, he suggests to you not to look for glory in a name. I would like to be called always by my baptisimal name, but if someone calls me "father", I wont stop him: it might help him to stay aware of his obedience and humility.

The words of Jesus are today enlightened by the example of st. Paul. To the Thessalonians he writes with tenderness and love recalling his ministry amongst them. He loved them giving them the Gospel, he worked and had been loving with them, he was for them an example of chritian life. The words of Paul could be repeated by many of the priests, by many pastors and bishops that have been and still are an example with their evangelical lives. Many are the priests who commit themselves to live the Gospel! And likewise there are many faithful who like the Thessalonians have welcomed and are welcoming their word "not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God" Beautiful is the Church of God, people that live the wisdom of the Father and give Him glory!