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<table class="gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout-table gmail-m_2302878030732495845root-table" style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" width="650" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout-row-margin21452" style="padding:5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout-row21452" class="gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout-row gmail-m_2302878030732495845widget gmail-m_2302878030732495845_widget_text gmail-m_2302878030732495845style21452" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><td id="gmail-m_2302878030732495845layout-row-padding21452" style="padding:10px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_2302878030732495845text_div21011" class="gmail-m_2302878030732495845td_text gmail-m_2302878030732495845td_block" style="color:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:inherit;line-height:1.5;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:Arial" align="left" valign="top"><div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> <div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-weight:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">Friends,<span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>
our Gospel for today focuses on the pitfalls and ideals of religious
leadership. </b></span>This is a week when priests, ministers, and preachers have
to preach to themselves. <span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>Jesus turns his sharp eye
and withering critique on the many ways that religious leaders fall into
corruption.</b></span></span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">It
is hard to miss the practical application of these texts to our
troubled time, a period when clerical corruption and misconduct has been
vividly on display. Jesus makes a distinction of capital importance.
"<span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>The scribes and Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all the things they tell you."</b></span> The Lord
reminds us that they do sit legitimately in teaching offices and that
their teaching should be, accordingly, respected. </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"> </span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">In
the fourth century, St. Augustine faced the challenge of the Donatists.
They claimed that only pure and morally upright priests could
legitimately dispense the sacraments. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Augustine said,</b></span> no, <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"> personal
evil</span> of a minister does not compromise the validity of what he does
sacramentally.</b></span></span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">
</span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">This
principle is of great significance. Augustine, in imitation of Christ,
says that <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>there can be <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">evil </span>men who do and teach <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the works of God</span>.</b></span></span></b><br></span></b></div>
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