20260114 PREPARING OUR EXIT FROM LEADERSHIP
14 January 2026, Wednesday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20 |
'Speak, Lord, your servant is listening'
The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli; it was rare for the Lord to speak in those days; visions were uncommon. One day, it happened that Eli was lying down in his room. His eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying in the sanctuary of the Lord where the ark of God was, when the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ He answered, ‘Here I am.’ Then he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli said, ‘I did not call. Go back and lie down.’ So he went and lay down. Once again the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ He replied, ‘I did not call you, my son; go back and lie down.’ Samuel had as yet no knowledge of the Lord and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. Once again the Lord called, the third time. He got up and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, since you called me.’ Eli then understood that it was the Lord who was calling the boy, and he said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if someone calls say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord then came and stood by, calling as he had done before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Samuel answered, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’
Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him and let no word of his fall to the ground. All Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 39(40):2,5,7-10 |
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
I waited, I waited for the Lord
and he stooped down to me;
he heard my cry.
Happy the man who has placed
his trust in the Lord
and has not gone over to the rebels
who follow false gods.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings,
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim.
Instead, here am I.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
In the scroll of the book it stands written
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law
in the depth of my heart.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Your justice I have proclaimed
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed;
you know it, O Lord.
Here I am, Lord! I come to do your will.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Col3:16a,17 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness,
find a home with you;
through him give thanks to God the Father.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 1:29-39 |
He cast out devils and cured many who were suffering from disease
On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew. Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straightaway. He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
That evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils. The whole town came crowding round the door, and he cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; he also cast out many devils, but he would not allow them to speak, because they knew who he was.
In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.’ And he went all through Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out devils.
PREPARING OUR EXIT FROM LEADERSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 SM 3:1-10, 19-20; Ps 40:2,5,7-10; Mk 1:29-39]
Jesus was very active in ministry. We read of the many demands of His ministry. Today’s Gospel speaks of the ordinary routine of the life and ministry of Jesus. He spent His days preaching and teaching. In addition to His teaching, He healed and performed exorcisms. He also had to attend to the needs of His disciples and their loved ones, just as we do as leaders. We do not serve only those entrusted directly to our care or our collaborators; we extend our ministry to their loved ones as well. Jesus exemplified this when He went straight to the house of Simon and Andrew after His preaching engagement to heal Simon’s mother-in-law, who was bedridden with a fever. Even for such minor ailments, the Lord was called upon to assist. In ministry, no matter how important or high our position may be, we are called to attend to all people, regardless of who they are or the needs they have.
Those of us in ministry often find very little time to rest, because it is not a nine-to-five job but a twenty-four-hour commitment. We must realise that ministry is not merely a paid occupation; it is a service and a mission. When it comes to the Gospel, we cannot be calculative about time or benefits, because we are working for God, not for human beings. Hence, we read that after the Sabbath, that is, after sunset, Jesus continued His healing activity throughout the evening and late into the night, as “they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were possessed by devils.” His ministry was truly exhausting, for “the whole town came crowding round the door, and He cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another; He also cast out many devils.” With great availability, He responded to every request, whether big or small, day and night. As a human being, we can be sure that He too was mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically exhausted. But He was young. He was passionate about His mission. He had clarity of vision. And He was deeply in love with His Father. He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
In contrast, Eli was old and ineffective. He had become a liability, and his days of leadership were over. The first reading from the prophet Samuel recalls the sad situation of Israel at a time when the light of faith was dying out. This was symbolised by the statement that “the lamp of God had not yet gone out,” despite the fact that Eli was not fulfilling his duties properly as High Priest. He was unable even to discipline his own sons, who were abusing their position as priests and committing sacrilegious acts. “The sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord or for the duties of the priests to the people” (1 Sm 2:14). Eli was not excused, because he was fully aware of the scandals committed by his sons. “Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. He said to them, ‘Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad'” (1 Sm 2:22-24). Yet he was weak and unable to take decisive action when it was needed. He felt helpless, as he could not even control his own sons. There is a great difference between being compassionate and being firm and decisive.
Because of his incompetence and lack of spirituality, the people also suffered. As the author noted, “it was rare for the Lord to speak in those days; visions were uncommon.” Indeed, the sins of both the people and their priests rendered them unable to hear the voice of God speaking to them. This was poignantly illustrated by the fact that Eli’s “eyes were beginning to grow dim; he could no longer see.” Not only was he unable to perceive visions, but he was also unable to recognise the Word of God. So much so that when the Lord called Samuel, Eli could not immediately discern that it was the Lord’s voice. Twice, Samuel ran to Eli, thinking it was he who had called him. It was only the third time that Eli realised it was the Lord calling Samuel, and he instructed him, “Go and lie down, and if someone calls, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.'”
So too, when we see the pathetic state of the Church in our time, it suggests that our ability to hear the Word of God has been greatly compromised. Our times are not very different from those of Eli and his people. The Church is going through difficult moments marked by scandals, disunity, and a lack of clarity in direction, compounded by a secular, relativistic, and individualistic ideological climate. The failure of religious leaders–not only in faith, but also in leadership, conduct, and moral responsibility–has caused many to lose respect for the clergy and religious. Some of us are no better than Eli and his sons in the way we conduct ourselves as leaders of faith. Often, we lack courage and conviction, and we feel helpless and constrained. At times, we are painfully aware that the scandals, incompetence, and shortcomings of our leaders are crippling the growth of our communities, yet we feel powerless because there is a shortage of capable leaders. The good are often willing but lack competence, while the bad are intelligent yet self-serving, self-willed, and self-centred.
Today, we are called to examine our own ministry. Am I an obstacle to the growth of the Church? Have I become a liability rather than a help? Indeed, today’s first reading invites us to reflect on our ministry and to ask whether we have reached a stage similar to that of Eli. Have we become incompetent or lacking in zeal? It is true that some of us are no longer young, and our energy is diminished by age and by the burdens of office. Yet at times, this weariness stems from our failure to care for our spiritual life, as Eli did. We allow the routines of office and the trials and demands of ministry to overwhelm us. Gradually, we grow tired of listening to complaints, demands, and the many problems we face as leaders. We lose hope and courage ourselves. When we neglect intimacy with the Lord, especially in prayer, we rely solely on our human strength to do the Lord’s work. We fail to make ourselves available for the Lord to work in and through us. As a result, we become jaded in ministry, suffering from burnout and discouragement.
So what must we do if we have reached this stage? Let us be clear: age alone does not disqualify a leader from serving. Even if we no longer have the same level of physical energy, we can be wiser and more experienced than younger leaders. Leadership does not require doing everything oneself. Rather, leaders are called to a ministry of collaboration–working in teams and empowering others to share in the mission. Neither does age automatically mean that one must tender a resignation. Much depends on the individual, his or her capacity, and the particular circumstances in which one serves.
What is essential, then, is that we discern the will of God, like Samuel: “Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.” We must be sincere before the Lord. Jesus Himself was clear about His mission. His ministry was not centred on Himself–on His security, popularity, or the building of His own kingdom with a circle of loyal supporters. On the contrary, when “Simon and his companions set out in search of him, and when they found him, they said, ‘Everybody is looking for you,'” Jesus replied, “Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came.” And so He went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Jesus remained focused on His mission and did not allow either success or failure to distract Him from fulfilling the will of His Father.
This requires prayer and discernment. Like Jesus, we must remain in touch with the heart of God through prayer. Jesus was disciplined, always conscious that whatever He said or did had to be in union with His Father. He did not allow the busyness of His ministry to pull Him away from God. The evangelist notes, “In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place to pray.” Long before others were awake, our Lord spent quiet time with His Father. He knew that without first communing with God, receiving His love and strength, He would not be able to accomplish His mission.
With God’s grace, we must also take deliberate steps to recruit collaborators, promote vocations, and groom leaders to take over from us, just as Eli nurtured Samuel. We must likewise be intentional about our exit plans, even if the time seems far off. Holding on to our positions until death would be selfish and detrimental to those we serve. Leaders must invest time to form others; otherwise, all that we have built risks collapsing after our departure. We can learn from Jesus, who carefully prepared His exit plan by selecting His apostles and forming them over three years. Continuity of leadership is essential to sustain growth. This is how a responsible leader, while serving his people, ensures that the mission will continue even after he is gone. Let us never forget that God’s mission is greater than ourselves. We will not always be here, but God’s work must continue until the end of time, until His kingdom is fully established.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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