Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Year 2 2024

Title

What Do God’s Leaders Need from God?

Outline

What do we need from God?

The first thing is recollection and rest

Really the two go together, for without rest you are not able to gather your scattered thoughts to focus on Jesus. It is like asking a busy housewife who is trying to prepare a meal and keep track of several energetic children to listen deeply to her husband. At the same time, ministry is often inimical to rest, for, as we see with Jesus, when people find effective ministry they tend to hound the minister. Presumably the disciples had to organize things some even if Jesus did the teaching this time.

The second thing is we need to be made into effective leaders

Solomon prayed “Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil.” I need to hear the people and hear God, not think that I am competent in myself. I need the understanding to judge between good and evil. And these days that is not easily come by, for the world is confused. There, again, I need to listen to God, to scripture, to competent leaders such as the Pope, etc.

These days many leaders get hung up on money or power or honor or success and do not realize that they have stopped listening and no longer have a discerning heart. Solomon would later stop listening and get distracted by these other things and that would be his downfall.

The third thing is we need to be made into compassionate leaders

Jesus says that the vast crowd was “like sheep without a shepherd” and rather than criticizing them or potential shepherds, he was “moved with pity” and gave up his rest time and “began to teach them many things.” When we read Paul we see the same compassion and self-sacrifice in him. And we see it in many saints down the ages. In fact, that is one reason that many died relatively young. There is prudence that may say that knowing myself I need rest in order to be able to teach later, but prudence is not talking about my comfort or perhaps my privileges but about my needs in order to carry out my call.

So, Sisters, meditate on these scriptures and these three points

I will do the same, for I am often asked, directly or indirectly, about these issues, while I know I am still growing in virtue myself - at least I hope so.

If we do, it will be for the good of the people and the glory of God and for our true good, if not for our comfort.