20170314 INTEGRITY OF LEADERS
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Isaiah
1:10,16-20 ©
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Hear the word of the
Lord,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the command
of our God,
you people of
Gomorrah.
‘Wash, make
yourselves clean.
Take your wrong-doing
out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the
orphan,
plead for the widow.
‘Come now, let us
talk this over,
says the Lord.
Though your sins are
like scarlet,
they shall be as
white as snow;
though they are red
as crimson,
they shall be like
wool.
‘If you are willing
to obey,
you shall eat the
good things of the earth.
But if you persist in
rebellion,
the sword shall eat
you instead.’
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm
49(50):8-9,16-17,21,23 ©
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I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
‘I find no fault with
your sacrifices,
your
offerings are always before me.
I do not ask more
bullocks from your farms,
nor goats
from among your herds.
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
‘But how
can you recite my commandments
and take
my covenant on your lips,
you who despise my
law
and throw
my words to the winds,
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
‘You do this, and
should I keep silence?
Do you
think that I am like you?
A sacrifice of
thanksgiving honours me
and I
will show God’s salvation to the upright.’
I will show God’s
salvation to the upright.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Mt4:17
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Glory and praise to
you, O Christ!
Repent, says the
Lord,
for the kingdom of
heaven is close at hand.
Glory and praise to
you, O Christ!
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Or
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Ezk18:31
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Glory and praise to
you, O Christ!
Shake off all your
sins – it is the Lord who speaks –
and make yourselves a
new heart and a new spirit.
Glory and praise to
you, O Christ!
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Gospel
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Matthew 23:1-12 ©
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Addressing the people
and his disciples Jesus said, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair
of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say;
but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they
preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will
they lift a finger to move them? Not they! Everything they do is done to
attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels, like
wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the
synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people
call them Rabbi.
‘You,
however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one
master, and you are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father,
since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow
yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’
INTEGRITY
OF LEADERS
The call to repentance and
holiness would not be complete or effective if this call does not begin with
those in authority; leaders, parents and guardians. Indeed, leaders play
a very important and critical role in shaping, molding and forming the values
and minds of those under our charge and society at large. The spiritual
and moral values of a society are dependent on what our leaders promote, and
how they are witnessing to the values they encourage.
Indeed, the scripture
readings today are addressed to leaders, both political and religious. In
the first reading, the prophet Isaiah said, “Hear the word of the Lord, you
rulers of Sodom; listen to the command of our God, you people of
Gomorrah.” In the gospel, Jesus told the people, “The scribes and the
Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you
and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do.” Just
like Isaiah, Jesus recognized the role of those in authority, whether they are
holding political or religious office.
The tragedy of the world
today is that leaders are no longer holistic in their leadership.
That is to say, leadership is compartmentalized. What they say and what
they do are no longer integrated. This is not just true of their personal
life but also in terms of their leadership. The trouble with the world
today is that a leader is not expected to live a moral life and a life of
integrity. Personal values are separated from professional work. A
political leader is simply expected to ensure that the country is economically
growing and that there is order and harmony. A teacher simply needs to be
able to teach his subjects well. A businessman must bring more money and
profits to the company. As regards their personal life, it is none of our
business.
Yet, can we truly divorce a
person’s professional work from his values? What we do is not only
determined by the work alone, it has to do with the individual’s values system,
his own convictions, his integrity and beliefs. Whether we like it or
not, our culture, values, upbringing and religion impact us in the way we look
at our work, society, people and the value of what we do. It is not
enough to be able to carry out our task or function well. We must ask ourselves
what it is that motivates us and what objectives or goals we want to achieve.
Without clarity of values
and what is true and good, science, technology and business will be without a
soul. Science, technology and business can be used for good or for
evil. We can destroy humanity and society with science and with the
products we sell, or we can help to build and strengthen humanity.
Indeed, we cannot separate ethics from the other aspects of life. Whether
it is politics, business, science, technology or education, we cannot empty out
the dimension of ethics. This is the real weakness in the world today. We have
power and knowledge without a soul to ensure that they are used wisely for the
good of all.
Unfortunately, the truth
remains in that the most distrusted people in the world are politicians,
lawyers, businessmen; priests and religious people included! This is because we
have failed to live a life of integrity and honesty. People no longer see
leaders as mentors but simply as people performing a function for
society. The person is separated from his function. So long as he
gets his job done, we do not bother much about his or her personal life.
And yet, is it possible that we can perform our job well without being dictated
by our values?
We see the obvious
consequences when leadership is separated from morality. To the leaders
of Israel, the Lord said, “Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease to do
evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the
orphan, plead for the widow.” Instead of using their political
power to bring justice and harmony to the people, the leaders were cheating
them, oppressing the weak, like the orphans and widows. This is still the
case today because often, those who are powerful take advantage of the poor and
the weak, those who are voiceless and helpless. How many of our domestic
helpers and migrant workers are being abused, used and taken advantage of
simply because they have no means to defend themselves? Again,
those who hold positions in the office often abuse their power by
discriminating their workers, practicing favouritism, silencing the contrary
opinions, threatening and intimidating their staff. How true the saying,
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” because there is no
check on the person. The Lord warns such people, “If you are willing to
obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in
rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.”
Leaders must once again
understand that they are more than just doing a job but they are called to be
role models in society. They must not just be functionaries, performers,
teachers and executors. They need to walk the talk. “They do not
practise what they preach. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s
shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!” Our task
is to help those under our care and to relieve them of their burdens, not to
add to them. We are called to show the way by walking with them and leading
them. We must apply what we teach to others in our own lives. It is
always such an irony to hear preachers telling the congregation that they must
forgive, be humble, responsible, generous, helpful, and obedient, but they
themselves are the least forgiving, the most arrogant, the most disobedient and
the least helpful or generous!
Leaders must examine their
motives in service. Jesus criticized the religious leaders.
“Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader
phylacteries and longer tassels, like wanting to take the place of honour at
banquets and the front seats in the synagogues, being greeted obsequiously in
the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.” There are some in
public office as well as those who seek positions in society and even in the
Church, who serve on account of pride and honour. It is about themselves,
their popularity and their benefits, their interests. It is not about
selfless and humble service but about recognition and honour. Jesus makes
it clear, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
When leaders serve with selfish motives, they will rule others and make use of
them for their own personal agenda. The Lord urges us to stop being
hypocritical in the way we act. He said, “I find no fault with your
sacrifices, your offerings are always before me. I do not ask more
bullocks from your farms, nor goats from among your herds. But how can you
recite my commandments and take my covenant on your lips, you who despise my
law and throw my words to the winds.”
Instead, as religious,
political, corporate and civic leaders, let us remember that we are serving a
higher authority. We are simply servants and agents. We are not the
master or the teacher, as Jesus reminded us. “You, however, must not
allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you
are all brothers. You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only
one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor must you allow yourselves to be called
teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.” In other
words, we are all simply representatives of God Himself and Christ. As
leaders, we take our moral guidance from them. They are our moral compass
as to how we should exercise our leadership in the areas that we are called to
be in. At the same time, we want to be leaders who inspire those working
with us; and in all that we do, regardless of the trade or occupation or arts
we are in, our intention is to promote holistic development of the person;
moral, spiritual, human, skills, social and to live harmoniously with others in
love.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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