The Greatest Among You Must Be Your Servant

11-05-2023Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC

In His unfathomable wisdom, God has blessed every one of us with charisms, the application of these gratuitous gifts when left to the dictates of our individual volitions, usually end up producing self-centered and sometimes harmful results that are injurious not only to our conscience but also to our community and even society. Good leadership is the gap-filler that coordinates our individual talents and applies them for the improvement of our human condition and to the greater glory of God. This is true even in our relationship with God. If everyone of us was asked to determine, on the basis of personal preference, how our relationship with God should be, the result would certainly be unmitigated chaos. This is why even God needs leaders to ensure that the assembly of those who believe in Him and have opted to stay in the right relationship with Him are properly enabled to sustain it. What constitutes good leadership is the unifying theme of the Readings at the liturgy this weekend.

The First Reading comes from the Prophet Malachy, who prophesied to Judah during the post-exilic period. The returnees, though returned to their ancestral homeland, were not allowed self-governance but were governed by the Persian Emperor through his appointed representatives. So, the people depended on the priests to provide leadership, but they got leadership that was selfish, ungodly and wayward. Malachy accused them of turning aside from the way, causing many to falter by their instruction, and making void the covenant of Levi. True leadership requires the leader to lead by example and Judah’s priests were not doing this. The First Reading invites us to reflect on the quality of witnessing and exemplification each of us is supposed to be engaged in. This is the kind of illustrative witnessing that Paul and his companions made visible to the Thessalonians.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus acknowledged the place and authority of the Scribes and the Pharisees to teach and lead people to righteousness but condemned their hypocrisy in failing to practice what they preached. A hypocrite is a two-faced individual whose private and public lives are diametrically opposed to each other. The Pharisees would prefer to be virtuous and devout in public just to win the admiration of others rather than work to maintain an authentically righteous relationship with God and others in public as well as in private. A quick and honest evaluation of the motivation behind many of our public acts of piety would reveal an unconscious appeal to public perception and approval instead of honestly seeking to be authentically at peace with God and neighbor. Good leadership, as far as Jesus is concerned, should motivate us to think and act less about and for ourselves. The servant of Jesus who aspires to lead others must imitate his Lord through humble selfless and God-glorifying service to his brethren without anticipating public fame and favor.

May God teach us to number our days so we may gain wisdom of heart and so serve the Lord by serving our brethren with special preference for those on the fringes of life.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh