August 23, 2025: Saturday, 20th Week of Ordinary Time

We see Ruth rewarded in the first reading for her kindness towards her mother-in-law, Naomi. Over time, she marries a man from her father-in-law’s tribe, named Boaz, and she gives birth to a son whose grandson is King David.

In our Gospel text, Jesus tells the people to do what the scribes and Pharisees tell them to do because they have the authority, but he also tells them not to do what the scribes and Pharisees actually do because they do it for show. Our faith and the expression of our faith must be authentic because if it is done for show, people will see it very quickly and God even more quickly. Our lives must be humble and authentically Christian if we want to inherit the kingdom.