Friday 25^th July – Feast of St. James, Apostle

Reflection: 1 Corinthians 4: 8-13

THE SERVANT-LEADER

In our contemporary society, every young person is aspiring for one leadership position or the other. Little do they know that “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Leadership in our day has become an avenue to gain fame and popularity among the people, or to dominate and exercise authority over the led. What does it truly mean to be a leader? A leader is one who is ready to forgo his own pleasure for the benefit of the followers. A leader is a servant who is sensitive to the need of every one of his followers. A good leader leads by example.

Today’s text reveals St. Paul as a leader par-excellence. He possessed all these qualities of leadership listed above. He became weak so that his followers may be strong, he became poor that they may be rich; he was humiliated, so that his followers might be honoured. In fact, he became all things to all men for the sake of Christ. Such leadership qualities are rare these days. Hence, one would need to go back to the Sovereign Leader himself, Jesus Christ to learn what it means to lead. Beloved, Jesus has taught us that he who desires to be the first among many must first of all become the servant of all (Mark 9: 35).

Simply stated, a leader should be an embodiment of divine love. If you are already occupying one leadership position or the other anywhere, then you must ask yourself a question to know if you have these qualities in large measure. And if you don’t, then cry to God for them. The reason is because every position ofthe authority you occupy is an opportunity to make a life changing impact towards the people you are leading, failure to do this is tantamount to disappointing God.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, give me the grace to be a servant leader like yourself. Help to make a meaningful impact in every leadership position I find myself. Amen.

KNOW YOUR FAITH: CCC 1804: “The moral virtues are acquired by human effort. They are the fruit and seed of morally good acts; they dispose all the powers of the human being for communion with divine love.”

HIDE A TREASURE: “…If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest.”  Matthew 20:26b GNB

Readings for Today: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15; Psalm 126; Matthew 20: 20-26