20260418 THE PRE-REQUISITES OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER
18 April 2026, Saturday, 2nd Week of Easter
First reading | Acts 6:1-7 |
They elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit
About this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom; we will hand over this duty to them, and continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.’ The whole assembly approved of this proposal and elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 32(33):1-2,4-5,18-19 |
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp,
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you.
or
Alleluia!
Gospel Acclamation | Rm6:9 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again.
Death has no power over him any more.
Alleluia!
Or: |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Christ has risen, he who created all things,
and has granted his mercy to men.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 6:16-21 |
They saw Jesus walking on the lake
In the evening the disciples went down to the shore of the lake and got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the lake. It was getting dark by now and Jesus had still not rejoined them. The wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough. They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat. This frightened them, but he said, ‘It is I. Do not be afraid.’ They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for.
THE PRE-REQUISITES OF A CHRISTIAN LEADER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ACTS 6:1-7; JN 6:16-21]
The Church, as in the days of old, is beset with challenges from both within and without. Like the early Church, symbolised by the disciples in the boat, we too are threatened by the storms of life. We read that “it was getting dark by now and Jesus had still not rejoined them. The wind was strong, and the sea was getting rough.” In a world of secularism and relativism, compounded by materialism, the Church is in many ways under siege on all sides. Rocked by scandals from within and opposed by those who hate the Church from without, we live in precarious times. Yet, scandals and persecutions are not new to the Church. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read how the primitive Church faced all kinds of persecution as well, especially from political and religious authorities.
But today we are also told that, internally, there was jealousy and anger resulting from discrimination and favouritism practised by Church leaders. The Greek-speaking Christian widows were being neglected by the Church; as a result, there was discontent. This incident shows that the early Church, like our own, was not so perfect and idealistic after all. They, too, had their fair share of human weakness and sinfulness. This was perhaps inevitable; as the Church grew in number and strength, the organism became more complex. Problems that could once be dealt with personally by the leaders could no longer be managed that way. As a consequence, misunderstandings and miscommunication arose.
For this reason, it is vital that the Church appoints the right leaders to look after the flock of God. In the final analysis, identifying and appointing these individuals is of paramount importance. Choosing the wrong leaders is the root cause of many problems in the Church today. To attend to the pastoral, spiritual, doctrinal, and moral needs of our people, we must put in place faith-filled Catholics — clerical, religious, or lay — who are eminently qualified to serve. Without strong leadership, we will not be able to withstand the storms currently buffeting the Church.
But who should we appoint as leaders in the Church? While there is no denying that leaders must possess the qualities expected in the secular world — such as being visionary, creative, knowledgeable, and having fortitude and foresight — these alone are not sufficient to qualify one for Christian leadership. Unfortunately, when many of us look for a leader in the Church, we look for the same traits found in the corporate world: that they are talented, accomplished in their careers, wealthy, powerful, resourceful, intelligent, eloquent, and effective organisers. Yet, these qualities alone do not qualify a person to be a Christian leader.
So, who is qualified to be a Christian leader? Over and above the human endowments required for secular leadership, Christian leaders must be, as the early Church instructs, people of “good reputation, filled with the Spirit and with wisdom.” In other words, whoever aspires to be a Christian leader must, above all, be a person of deep faith. Without this foundation, one is not qualified for the role. Otherwise, we might as well simply hire the most intelligent or talented person to be Pope, Bishop, or parish priest to increase the Church’s numbers, power, and influence, much like a CEO in a corporate organisation. In such a scenario, we would have no need for God or His grace, as we would be relying solely on human skill and ingenuity.
Precisely, the Church is not merely human but divine, and her message is not of human origin, but of God. We must not reduce the Church to a mere human institution. While we should use our common sense and intellect to solve problems or meet challenges, we must ultimately rely on the power of God working in and through us. We must never rule out the possibility of miraculous intervention. God can act in the most unexpected situations, as He did for the disciples caught in the storm. They were battling fierce winds and were in danger of drowning; yet, in an instant, after encountering Jesus, they miraculously reached the shore. As Scripture says, “They were for taking him into the boat, but in no time it reached the shore at the place they were making for.”
Consequently, we must ask: do our Christian leaders truly believe in the power of grace that comes from Christ alone? At times, it seems many rely more on their own ingenuity, planning, and strategising than on the power of God. How many of us in leadership actually pray over our projects, practising proper discernment before the Lord and interceding for the success of our endeavours? We plan extensively and work tirelessly, yet we hardly pray; not only do we neglect to pray for our projects, but we often fail to pray at all.
And yet, we dare to assume leadership in our Church organisations! How could someone who is “pagan at heart”– even if a Christian in name — consider themselves qualified to be a Christian leader? We are not looking for CEOs, but for shepherds after the heart and mind of Christ — leaders with compassionate and humble hearts. We do not need those who are merely efficient and smart, yet egoistic, insensitive, and arrogant–perfectionists who cannot tolerate the weaknesses of their brothers and sisters.
Indeed, we must ensure that those we select as leaders in our Church organisations are Catholics truly imbued with the spirit of the Gospel. They must be believers who possess a deep faith in the Risen Lord and are committed to the Gospel purely for the apostolic motive of spreading the Good News of Jesus — whom they have encountered as the love and mercy of God — rather than for ambitious or egoistic reasons. This explains why the Apostles, in addressing the teething problems of the growing community, moved quickly to rectify the situation by having the community elect leaders known for their piety and prudence. Most importantly, this was all done in the context of prayer: “They presented these to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of the Lord continued to spread: the number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly increased, and a large group of priests made their submission to the faith.”
If we were to surmise the necessary qualities of a Christian leader from today’s Scripture readings, we can list them accordingly. First, he must be a man of prayer. A Christian leader who does not pray cannot feel with God nor discern His will; he is a dangerous man who may lead his flock in the ways of the world. A leader must first listen to the Lord before he can lead others. Secondly, he must be devoted to the Word of God. Without a deep love for the Word, how can a leader share in the mind and heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd? By what criteria will he make decisions or guide his people unless those guidelines are rooted in Scripture? This is why the Apostles sought to “continue to devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.”
Thirdly, by extension, he must have a deep love for the Word of God made flesh in the Eucharist. The Bread of Life — both the Word of God and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist — must be deeply appreciated, adored, and contemplated. Without a special devotion to the Eucharist, a leader cannot maintain intimacy with the Lord and the Church, the Body of Christ. Fourthly, he must be filled with the wisdom that comes from docility to the Holy Spirit. Wisdom must complement knowledge; otherwise, we make decisions based on immediate gains rather than eternal values. Finally, he must have a good reputation. That is to say, he must live a godly, exemplary life in both conduct and worship. A Christian leader should earn the respect of his community and colleagues through his virtues. If he is feared rather than revered, he becomes a dictator, not a shepherd.
Truly, only when we make time for daily prayer, pray with the Scriptures, and participate in the Eucharist can we consider ourselves ready for Christian leadership. If a leader is spiritually blind, he will only lead his people into the pit. For this reason, those who hold positions in the Church — whether as priests, full-time workers, or volunteers — bear a serious responsibility to maintain their spiritual lives and remain well-informed in their faith, both in doctrine and morals. How tragic it is to destroy the lives of those under our charge, or to mislead them, simply because we have been irresponsible or negligent in our spiritual formation.
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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