| Lord Jesus, show me how to serve and make me grow. Amen. |
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Karl Rahner, our most mature theologian in several centuries, has this to say about children: “In the child, an adult begins who must undergo the wonderful adventure of becoming a child of God, for this is the task of maturity”. The readings of every Sunday invite us to fulfil this task of maturity. Today’s readings seem to provide a solid base for thinking of ourselves as adults/leaders in the making.
The letter of James (3:16-4:3) speaks of the difference between human wisdom and divine wisdom and describes the fruits of living by God’s wisdom. All our catechetical efforts are aimed at guiding believers into that wisdom. In the gospel (Mk. 9:30-37) Jesus gives a good example of divine wisdom when he teaches the Twelve that they must be the servants of all. They must redefine greatness as service and consider it an honour to be the last and a privilege to serve the least of all. A child is typical of the person who needs things, and it is the company of the person who needs things that disciples must seek. Certainly, it is easy and even pleasant to cultivate the friendship of those who can do things for us whose influence can be helpful to our purpose. Similarly, it is equally easy to avoid the company of the person who inconveniently needs our help. But the demands of discipleship go far beyond what is easy. The reversal of the world’s standards in his teaching is striking. The first reading (Wisdom 2:12,17-20) can serve to remind us that following God’s ways does not always bring us acceptance. Here again, the world’s standards of a successful life are different from God’s standards.
Servant leadership is always a delicate balancing act. People will not accept leadership unless they sense that the leaders are truly acting in the community’s best interest. Ultimately it is a matter of love. Leaders must love the church enough to act always for the good of others and love it enough to endure the opposition that will come even to the most selfless leadership.
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