20260826 CULTIVATING INTERIOR LEADERSHIP
26 August 2026, Wednesday, 21st Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18 |
We worked night and day not to be a burden on you
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or to live according to the tradition we passed on to you.
You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.
We gave you a rule when we were with you: do not let anyone have any food if he refuses to do any work. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace all the time and in every way. The Lord be with you all.
From me, PAUL, these greetings in my own handwriting, which is the mark of genuineness in every letter; this is my own writing. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 127(128):1-2,4-5 |
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper.
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
O blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 23:27-32 |
You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets
Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, “We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.” So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.’
CULTIVATING INTERIOR LEADERSHIP
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 THESSALONIANS 3:6-10,16-18; MATTHEW 23:27-32]
Many people seek to hold positions in leadership. But what is real leadership if not from the heart? With social media, the internet, and mass communication, the emphasis is on how we appear before others in public. It is all about publicity. And so, it becomes a question of putting out the right pictures of the events a leader attends, who he associates with, how he looks, and what he says that matters. This explains why, even for interviews, how one presents oneself–not just during the interview, but also the way he or she dresses–will secure the job. But this overemphasis on a leader’s external appearance does not mean that person is a good leader.
Many leaders fall into hypocrisy. This is simply because they operate from their heads. They have lots of great ideas. They speak eloquently, and they seek to impress people by what they say and do. They need to feel great about themselves and have others see them in a good light. But there are many things they say and advocate for which they themselves cannot do or don’t even do at all. They give instructions to those under their care, but they do not observe them. This is what the Lord said about them: “Therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.” (Mt 23:3-5)
Worse still, as we know, those in leadership often use their authority and power for their own personal gain. In fact, those in positions of power are often tempted to take bribes or favour those who provide them benefits, helping them gain wealth or power. Not a few are involved in corruption, manipulation of funds, and other kinds of scandals–manipulating people and taking advantage of them. On the surface, they appear to be good, holy, and kind. But they are involved in cheating, stealing, sexual abuse, and using their positions to satisfy their personal pleasures and finance their holidays. This explains why the Lord described them as whitewashed tombs. Jesus said, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who are like whitewashed tombs that look handsome on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of corruption. In the same way you appear to people from the outside like good honest men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Sometimes leaders are afraid of competitors and want things strictly their own way. They view all opposition as a threat to their well-being and success. They seek to eliminate their opponents using every possible means: slander, false accusations, smear campaigns, and even violence. This was the way of the leaders in the Old Testament and during the time of our Lord. This was why the Lord said, “Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who build the sepulchres of the prophets and decorate the tombs of holy men, saying, ‘We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in our fathers’ day.’ So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the sons of those who murdered the prophets! Very well then, finish off the work that your fathers began.” Indeed, the prophets were put to death or sent into exile because they were a threat to political and religious authorities. They were regarded as nuisances and obstacles to the political ambitions of kings and their officials. These leaders wanted things their way instead of listening to God’s commands through the prophets. They refused to repent and be faithful to the covenant. They continued to oppress the poor and cheat in business. Pride, disobedience to God, corruption, and a lack of integrity were the causes of their downfall. This was also the case with the priests, scribes, and Pharisees during the time of the Lord. They were against His teachings and plotted to get rid of Him and kill Him because He was seen as a threat to the status quo.
Indeed, it is very difficult to be a good leader marked by integrity, justice, and compassion. Being human, just like Jesus in the Temptation Story, the Evil One will tempt us to change stones into bread–in other words, to make use of our power for self-interest; to jump from the pinnacle–in other words, to impress people into belief through spectacular events and deeds; and to worship power and glory as our gods. As leaders, we are constantly tempted to use our position for our own comfort and gain. How often do we hear of business owners cheating through the misappropriation of funds and insider trading, or using unscrupulous means to defeat their competitors?
This is why in the Gospel, St. Paul warns Christians not to take things easy or take the comfortable way out, using religion as an excuse to be lazy and irresponsible in their lives: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we urge you, brothers, to keep away from any of the brothers who refuses to work or live according to the tradition we passed on to you. We gave you a rule when we were with you: not to let anyone have any food if he refused to do any work.” Some Christians used the excuse of the imminent coming of our Lord as a reason not to do anything, choosing instead to wait for His arrival since, with His second coming, everything would be irrelevant. Others, in the name of Christian hospitality and charity, leaned on the rich and those who could afford to provide for their needs, refusing to work. Instead, they spent their time idling and gossiping instead of using their time wisely and responsibly by working for the Lord and the Christian community.
St. Paul makes himself a living example of what an authentic leader should do. He led by example and with sincerity. He wrote, “You know how you are supposed to imitate us: now we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we ever have our meals at anyone’s table without paying for them; no, we worked night and day, slaving and straining, so as not to be a burden on any of you. This was not because we had no right to be, but in order to make ourselves an example for you to follow.” Paul was a tentmaker by trade. He initially continued his work making and repairing tents until Timothy and Silas arrived from Philippi with financial assistance (cf. Acts 18:5).
Paul was sincere in preaching the Good News freely and without cost. He said, “If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:16-18) He also relinquished his rights in order to be one with the people he served: “For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law.” (1 Cor 9:19-20)
This makes Paul a truly exemplary leader, unlike the religious leaders of Israel during the time of our Lord. His heart was for his people, and he preached the Gospel without ulterior motives–not for glory and not for earthly gain. Indeed, St. Peter also urged the shepherds of Christ to do the same: “I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it–not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.” (1 Pt 5:1-3) This is the kind of leadership we are called to exercise.
We must develop our personal identity as leaders from the inside out. We must not fall into the worldly mindset that “image is everything.” When we think that by creating a beautiful exterior we can whitewash old faults and that people will never know what we are really like, we may deceive them for a while, but we will eventually be exposed. Far more important than how a leader postures himself or herself is the substance of one’s ministry and the depth of one’s character. Ultimately, what matters most is what we do and the motives behind what we do. It is said that character builds the man and defines our lasting legacy, personal worth, and true impact.
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
No comments:
Post a Comment