20190919
ENCOURAGEMENT
FOR THE YOUNG LEADERS
19 SEPTEMBER,
2019, Thursday, 24th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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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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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 110(111):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.’
ENCOURAGEMENT
FOR THE YOUNG LEADERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ 1 Tm 4:12-16; Ps
111:7-10; Lk 7:36-50 ]
Some young people are
diffident in assuming leadership because they feel intimidated by their elders. When we are working in the shadow of
our seniors and elders, we are mindful that they are ever watchful of our every
move, intervening when they do not agree with the policies or programs we
initiate. Some of them can be rather critical and even harsh and
destructive in their words. Instead of being a source of encouragement
and wisdom to the young, they make themselves obstacles to their growth and the
realization of their potentials. This is because our elders often
think they know everything and perhaps at times are overly cautious. More
often than not, they tend to look at things from their past and seek to impose
their nostalgic times on the present thereby curbing the dynamism of life.
But this is true not
just in terms of age but also in terms of experience. Youthfulness in
life is not just measured in chronological terms but according to intensity and
depth. So
this can happen in a job environment or in Christian life. Some of
these people might be new in the job or in the faith. But they have
passion, dynamism and ideas to develop the company or to contribute to the
growth of the Church. Unfortunately, old timers, young or old, who have been
long in the job or in the faith, tend to pour cold water over any initiative
that those who are youthful at heart initiate. Those who are supposedly
experienced in the job or in Christian life are often proud and arrogant,
thinking they have all the answers to new challenges.
This was the case of
young Timothy whom St Paul wrote to. He was a young Bishop and felt
diffident in leading the Community. We can be sure that as a young bishop, he must
have been challenged by those older in the faith, whether in terms of age or
years. Other Christians, especially the older ones, might not have been
willing to submit to this young man because of pride and the lack of humility.
He must have felt frustrated as the older Christians refused to cooperate with
him or worse still, criticized and derailed his plans for the community.
The advice of St Paul is
certainly helpful not only to Timothy but to young leaders. “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.” We must
not allow our age to make us feel diffident or lose confidence in ourselves as
leaders. Rather, we must seek to win their respect over time. The
truth is that respect is never given simply because of the office we
hold. Respect must be earned.
How, then, can we earn
respect from those we lead? St Paul underlines the fundamental rule, “be
an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave.” As it is often said, today, we need
witnesses; not so much teachers. Even Jesus told the disciples, “The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they
teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice
what they teach.” (Mt 23:2f) So it is necessary that leaders can
earn the respect of those who do not support them by their good example and
conduct. In the final analysis, it is how we relate with people, treat
them and love them that will get their support.
As leaders our conduct
is critical in getting our message across and finding support from our
members. Who we are as persons and leaders is known through our words and
actions. Leaders
must bear in mind that whatever we say to our members, they are not just
listening to our words but they are also judging whether we are hypocritical or
not by the way we talk to them and other people, the demeanour we display in
caring for them, the words we use, whether they are harsh, demeaning or helpful
and edifying.
Besides our words,
people judge leaders by their actions.
How do leaders behave and act towards those who are good, responsible and
hardworking? Are they encouraging, seeing them as collaborators, or do
they see them as competitors? Do they get angry or impatient when others
fail in their responsibility or are they forgiving? Most of all, our
subordinates want to see whether the leaders are serving themselves, their
interests, their ego or truly at the service of the people.
In the gospel, the Lord
gives us a measure of who is a good leader. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in
sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by
their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In
the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad
fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear
good fruit.” (Mt 7:15-18) Again, the Lord reminds us, “It is what
comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human
heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery,
avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All
these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mk 7:20-23)
Whereas from a good heart comes, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal
5:22) That was why St Paul told Timothy that he would be judged “in
your love, your faith and your purity.” What is in our mind and heart
will determine what we think, how we speak and how we act. From the mind
or heart conceives the thought which is then expressed in words and actions.
It is therefore of critical
importance that we must have the mind of Christ if we were to lead the People
of God. What,
then, is the mind of Christ? St Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfish
ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than
yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the
interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with
God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of
a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on
a cross.” (Phil 2:2-8)
Not only must we have
the same mind, we must have the same heart of Christ. What is the heart
of Christ? It is the heart of compassion and mercy. This, I feel, is by far the most
important quality of a leader, the ability to feel with the weak, the sinners,
the marginalized and the sick. The heart of Jesus is brought out in
today’s gospel in His overwhelming compassion and understanding of the woman
who was a notorious sinner, coming to Him to ask for forgiveness. He was
not judgmental, unlike Simon the Pharisee who despised the woman and thought
highly of himself. “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.'” He had no compassion for the woman. Neither did he show
hospitality to Jesus because he did not accord Him the customary welcome and
purification. Jesus pointed out this to him, “Simon, 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 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.”
Indeed, a good leader
ultimately is one who gives himself completely to the service of God and His
people in humility and selflessness, and whose generosity is dependent on
whether he has first encountered his own sinfulness in all its seriousness and
sought the Lord’s forgiveness. If he is unaware of his own faults, he cannot
experience the Lord’s mercy. And if he has no awareness of the Lord’s
mercy, he cannot be generous in forgiveness or be extravagant in love like the
woman. For the Lord remarked, “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.’ Then he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights
Reserved
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