20240821 GOOD LEADERSHIP BEGETS GOOD LEADERS
21 August 2024, Wednesday, 20th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading | Ezekiel 34:1-11 |
An oracle against bad and selfish shepherds
The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:
‘“Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently. For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.
‘“Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it – it is the Lord who speaks – since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.”
‘For the Lord says this: “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.”’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 22(23) |
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
to revive my drooping spirit.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me along the right path;
he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
with these you give me comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
You have prepared a banquet for me
in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
my cup is overflowing.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
for ever and ever.
The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:135 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Let your face shine on your servant,
and teach me your decrees.
Alleluia!
Or: | Heb4:12 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is something alive and active:
it can judge secret emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Matthew 20:1-16 |
Why be envious because I am generous?
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’
GOOD LEADERSHIP BEGETS GOOD LEADERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZEKIEL 34:1-11; MATTHEW 20:1-16]
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:37f) Indeed, the harvest is great but we do not have sufficient labourers in the vineyard of the Lord. This is often the lamentation of Catholics – that we are short of priests and religious to serve the People of God. It is becoming more and more challenging in this secular, materialistic and individualistic world because the values of poverty, obedience and chastity are difficult to observe. Not only are we short of priests and religious, hardly 10% of our Catholics are serving in Church organizations. Many are multitasking and holding a few portfolios in different ministries.
However, the truth is that the Lord does call His people to leadership and to serve in His vineyard. He calls different individuals and groups of people at different times in our history. He never stops calling as we read in today’s gospel. He invites those who are standing idle in the market place and says to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” He calls at the third, sixth, ninth and the eleventh hour. No one is excluded from this call and no one is too late to be called. The place where He calls is not at the palace but at the market place where the ordinary people live and work. Wherever we are, we are called to different forms of leadership. It is immaterial where we are called, but we are called to live meaningful lives by giving ourselves in service to the community instead of idling our time away.
Of course, the Lord often calls through the leaders that He has already appointed. Those of us who are in leadership must therefore call others into service and leadership, even whilst we lead the people in our organization. Leaders must always be thinking of how to generate new leaders after them. Otherwise their leadership will be a failure as there is no continuity after they are gone. Often, because leaders do not explicitly invite potential leaders and workers, they remain idle and lacking purpose in life.
However, leaders do not simply call others to share their work through explicit calling. Rather, the best way to call is through exemplary and inspiring leadership. What kind of leaders we have in the future is dependent on whether leaders are role models for those under their charge. Good leaders will beget good leaders; and bad leaders will beget more bad leaders. The truth is that the subordinates tend to take the cue from their leaders and act according to the signals their leaders give them.
This was the case of the bad shepherds in the first reading. The kings, nobles, judges, priests and prophets were not leading the covenantal life that they were supposed to live. They broke the laws and twisted the laws to suit their convenience, their greed for power, wealth and status. They were not concerned for the people under their care but about themselves. They used their political and religious leadership to further their self-interests rather than the interests of the people. They enriched themselves at the expense of the poor and the suffering. They acted unjustly and were not concerned that the country was weakening because of loose moral standards, hypocritical worship, and unjust practices. As a result, the people were internally divided and thus were unable to defend themselves from their enemies.
It is important therefore to recognize that if there is a lack of workers and leaders in the vineyard of the Lord, it is because we have failed to nurture strong and good leaders. If leaders are credible in their field of work or commitment, they will naturally edify and inspire others to follow their lead. The leaders of tomorrow are dependent on the leaders of today. If they are corrupt, then the Church and society will produce corrupt and inept leaders. However, good leaders will inspire those who truly want to serve God and His people to come forward and offer themselves for the service of God and country.
What kind of role models should good leaders exhibit to attract potential good leaders to work with them? Firstly, leadership must be offered not for power, prestige or riches but simply for humble service. A leader is always a servant of the people he leads. The Lord told His disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mt 20:25-28) Leaders must remain humble in service because it is by grace, as today’s gospel tells us, that we are called. It is not by our efforts or talents alone that the Lord calls us. If we are chosen to be leaders, it is purely through His grace and mercy alone. So there is nothing to boast about except His grace.
Second, inspiring leadership is collaborative in nature. It is never dictatorial. This was the indictment on Israel’s leaders. “On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently.” Jesus did not keep leadership to Himself. He invited the disciples to share in His power to proclaim the Good News and gave them the power to do so as He did. “Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.” (Mt 10:1) Then later on, “the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” (Lk 10:1) Leaders must not behave as if they are kings, ordering people around and dominating them as if they have the right answers to every issue that affects the life of the community. They need to bring as many people as possible, according to their talents, to work together as Church to build up the Body of Christ.
Third, inspiring leadership is a compassionate service. This was the failure of the Israelite leaders. “You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones.” That is why Pope Francis constantly reminds priests to be compassionate and merciful, for leaders are called to reveal the mercy of God and His love for humanity. The problem is that we do not mind tending to those who are strong and healthy, but dealing with the weak, the broken, the wounded, the poor and the suffering saps much of our energy and emotional strength. This is what is needed today. Leaders must care for the weak of society, not just look after the rich, the powerful and the strong.
Fourth, inspiring leadership seeks the lost sheep. “You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost.” There are so many nominal Catholics but we are not doing enough to bring them home. Many of our young Catholics leave the Church after confirmation because they cannot connect with the Lord. Many are misled by the values and opinions and half-truths propagated by the world. As a result, “For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.” Indeed, today many of us clergy only care for the strong, those who support us and the Church. But those on the margins, we do not proactively reach out to them. We ostracize them and live in our comfort zone. Yet these are the ones that the Lord has come for – the sick, not the healthy, sinners, not the saints. (cf Mk 2:17)
Because leadership is a grace of God and not our own doing, the failure to exercise the gift of leadership properly will not just cause suffering for those under our charge but our own self destruction as well. The Lord is warning us as He warned the Israelite leaders. “Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves.” Such is the end of all bad leaders, whether in the political, corporate or religious world. So, rather than using the gift of leadership to enrich ourselves at the expense of those whom we serve, let us learn from Jesus to serve humbly and selflessly even unto death. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:11) With Jesus we say, “I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (cf Jn 10:10)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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