Whatever profession we are in, it is important that we carry out our work with honesty and integrity.
Our character will be seen in how we carry out our responsibilities, and in what we say and do with the people that we are working with.
And there will be occasions when we will be tempted to be popular and to cut the corners in order to climb up the ladder.
In the 1st reading, we see the characters of two prophets, Hananiah and Jeremiah.
As prophets, they are to speak the Word from God and not from themselves.
The prophet Hananiah wanted to be a prophet of popularity, and so he spoke what the people wanted to hear.
He even dared to say that it was the Word from God. But the prophet Jeremiah thought otherwise.
Jeremiah was a prophet of integrity and honesty.
He had to warn Hananiah and also warn the people as God had told him to.
As for ourselves, when we hear about things that irritate or annoy us, let us take some time to reflect deeper about it.
With honesty and integrity, we will know what God is saying to us. And we could be avoiding impending misfortune or even tragedy.