20170917 CONFIDENCE IN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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1 Timothy
4:12-16 ©
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Do not let people
disregard you because you are young, but be an example to the believers in the
way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity. Make
use of the time until I arrive by reading to the people, preaching and
teaching. You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when the
prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you; do not let it
lie unused. Think hard about all this, and put it into practice, and everyone
will be able to see how you are advancing. Take great care about what you do
and what you teach; always do this, and in this way you will save both yourself
and those who listen to you.
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Psalm
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Psalm 110:7-10 ©
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Great are the
works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
His works are justice
and truth,
his
precepts are all of them sure,
standing firm for
ever and ever;
they are
made in uprightness and truth.
Great are the
works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
He has sent
deliverance to his people
and
established his covenant for ever.
Holy his
name, to be feared.
Great are the
works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
To fear the Lord is
the first stage of wisdom;
all who
do so prove themselves wise.
His praise shall last
for ever!
Great are the
works of the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
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Gospel
Acclamation
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2Co5:19
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Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was
reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted
to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Mt11:28
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you
who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you
rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 7:36-50 ©
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One of the Pharisees
invited Jesus to a meal. When he arrived at the Pharisee’s house and took his
place at table, a woman came in, who had a bad name in the town. She had heard
he was dining with the Pharisee and had brought with her an alabaster jar of
ointment. She waited behind him at his feet, weeping, and her tears fell on his
feet, and she wiped them away with her hair; then she covered his feet with
kisses and anointed them with the ointment.
When the
Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a
prophet, he would know who this woman is that is touching him and what a bad
name she has.’ Then Jesus took him up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to say
to you.’ ‘Speak, Master’ was the reply. ‘There was once a creditor who had two
men in his debt; one owed him five hundred denarii, the other fifty. They were
unable to pay, so he pardoned them both. Which of them will love him more?’
‘The one who was pardoned more, I suppose’ answered Simon. Jesus said, ‘You are
right.’
Then he
turned to the woman. ‘Simon,’ he said ‘you see this woman? I came into your
house, and you poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears
over my feet and wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she
has been covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint
my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I
tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or she
would not have shown such great love. It is the man who is forgiven little who
shows little love.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Those who
were with him at table began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this man, that he
even forgives sins?’ But he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in
peace.’
CONFIDENCE
IN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
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SCRIPTURE
READINGS: 1 TM 4:12-16; LK 7:36-50
Most of
us feel diffident when called upon to take up Christian leadership. Not
so when it comes to corporate leadership! On the contrary, we aspire to
leadership in the world but ironically not in the Church. Why is that
so? Because being a Christian leader is not just a matter of delivering
the product or a matter of skills or even strategizing, but it has to do with
leading by example, walking the talk. This is what St Paul impressed
upon the young Bishop, Timothy when he wrote, “Do not let people disregard you
because you are young, but be an example to all the believers in the way you
speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity.”
Yet,
the truth is that by virtue of our baptism, we are all leaders because we
share in the royal priesthood of Christ. We are called to be parents,
teachers, pastoral workers and ministry heads. Being Christian leaders
requires more than skills and knowledge. The Pharisees and the Jewish
leaders are a case in point. They were supposedly the leaders of the
day. Although erudite and trained in theology and scriptures, they were
not always exemplary. They used their position of authority to seek
honour, respect and even privileges. Instead of being men of humble
service and compassion, they were discriminating the poor and the sinners and
forcing them to be further alienated from God. This was certainly the
case of Simon and his friends who could not accept Jesus’ assurance to the
woman that her sins were forgiven. Instead, they despised both Jesus and
the woman. Simon was judgmental like the rest, saying to himself, “If this
man were a prophet, he would know who this women is that is touching him and
what a bad name she has.”
What
then is the basis for confidence in Christian leadership? Christian
leadership is a matter of passion. Passion, as in the case of Jesus and
St Paul, is what differentiates a mediocre leader from a zealous
leader. This passion must come from an experience of God’s love and
mercy in Christ. Jesus in the gospel reminds us accordingly, “For this
reason I tell you that her sins, her many sins, must have been forgiven her, or
she would not have shown such great love. It is the man that is forgiven
little who shows little love.”
This
experience of the love of Christ is always prior to any call and every
mission. The call to Christian leadership cannot simply be a response to
a need. Indeed, many goodwill Catholics respond to the call of Christian
leadership more out of human reason, humanitarian or the desire to help. They
see the parishes in need of their services and they respond accordingly.
The service is often given out of the bounty of the giver. Such services
make God and the Church as the debtor. It makes the giver feel superior
and great about himself for being so generous and good to the Church and to the
poor. Understandably, when slighted, unappreciated or not acknowledged,
he reacts with anger, hostility and eventually may throw in the towel.
This
experience of God’s mercy and love however is only given to those who are able
to acknowledge their own sinfulness, like the woman in the gospel. Unless
we are sinners and vulnerable like the woman, how can we experience the love
and mercy of God? Unless we are weak, what do we know about being
strong? Unless we have been sick, how many of us appreciate our health?
Unless we have been poor and hungry, how can we value food and our
riches? Yes, unless we have been down and out like the addicted
alcoholic, the gambler, the sexual offender and the failure in life, we will
never know the mercy and the power of God. But when we are ready to confess
our sins like the woman, then we will come to know what it means to be loved
and accepted unconditionally. Jesus did not reject her unlike the
others. Jesus did not even condemn her.
Apparently,
sexual sin is less sinful than the sin of pride. The real sinner was not
the woman but those self-righteous Pharisees who were too proud of themselves
and unable to experience God’s love and mercy. Like those Catholics who
offer their services to the Church out of their abundance and riches, they too
made God their debtor because they had observed all the laws. Only the
poor in spirit, the humble and the downtrodden can appreciate and feel with
those who have gone down the same road. To such people, we feel with
them. Leaders who have gone through that road when redeemed and healed by the
law will take it upon themselves to extend the same mercy that they had
received. A good leader must always be conscious of his limitations and
sinfulness so that he will remain humble and compassionate; not judgmental but
caring.
Indeed,
if we are deeply loved by the Lord, like the woman, we will share in her
passion which is then expressed in creativity. She spontaneously and
without shame and reservation loosed her bundled hair to wipe the feet of Jesus
with tears flowing from her eyes. Simon had no real love for the Lord and
hence did not accord Jesus with the minimal hospitality. Hence, Jesus
remarked, “’Simon, you see this women? I came into your house, and you
poured no water over my feet, but she has poured out her tears over my feet and
wiped them away with her hair. You gave me no kisses, but she has been
covering my feet with kisses ever since I came in. You did not anoint my
head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.” Sometimes we
look at Church ministry and our leaders. In spite of their goodwill, they
often lack vision and are simply contented to carry on doing the same old
things they inherited from the previous committees. They lack enthusiasm
and creativity. Many leaders are administrators, not visionaries.
They are good in ensuring that the tradition and the rules of the past continue
but they lack a proactive outlook. This perhaps explains why our Churches
are not growing as fast as our separated brethren. We are more often than
not in a maintenance mode, worrying about how to sustain the groups we are in
charge of, rather than growing the group so that they can do outreach.
In
contrast, St Paul, and it would be true for Timothy too, were people who were
passionate and envisioning in their ministry. That is why St Paul assured
the young Timothy not to feel diffident about his office. What he needed
was the passion for the ministry. This passion is given in the power of
the Holy Spirit. “You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when
the prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you; do not let
it lie unused.” God will give us the grace when He appoints us for the
office. He always qualifies those whom He appoints.
However,
it must be said that we cannot depend on the institution and the office
alone. We need to cooperate with Him. We must continue to
grow in love and union with the Lord. For this reason, St Paul advised Timothy
to compensate for his lack of experience by being docile to the Lord and to
learning. He gave him a list of advice. “Make use of the time until I
arrive by reading to the people, preaching and teaching. Think hard about all
this, and put it into practice, and everyone will be able to see how you are
advancing.” He must grow in wisdom and reverence for the Lord because as
the psalmist says, “To fear the Lord is the first stage of wisdom; all who do
so prove themselves wise. His praise shall last for ever!”
Above
all, a leader must cultivate a deep faith and love for God. In
the final analysis, it is not what we do that changes lives and commands
respect from our subordinates, but it is how we live our lives expressed in
compassion, charity, love and humility. Indeed, St Paul reminds us, “Take great
care about what you do and what you teach; always do this, and in this way you
will save both yourself and those who listen to you.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh
Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Singapore
© All Rights Reserved
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