Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 / Matthew 23:1-12
At times we may say that life is unfair and even unjust - the rich seems to get richer and the poor get poorer.
As such, what's the point in being kind and generous when all we get is being taken advantage of.
Yet we cannot deny that in the law of life, a good deed will beget another good deed and generosity will beget generosity.
We will get our affirmation along the way. Even if we don't get it in this life, God will give us our what we deserve in the life to come.
In the 1st reading, we heard how Boaz affirmed Ruth on her kindness and generosity towards her mother-in-law, especially in leaving her own people and her own land and following her mother-in-law to a foreign land.
Ruth was further rewarded when Boaz took her as his wife and she also became part of the genealogy of Jesus.
Yes life can be rewarding, and our kindness and generosity will be rewarded, be it in this life or in the next.
Yet our greatest joy and reward is to help others bear their burdens or even to free them from their burdens.
In fact, like Jesus said in the gospel, our greatest joy is to serve others and to be a servant for others.
That does sound strange and illogical, but the best thing we can do for others is to serve them with kindness and generosity so that they can see that life is also fair and just.