Homily of the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev Fr Oluwafemi Victor Orilua CSSp on the Theme, “The Burden of a Leader.
The burden of a leader should be taking good care of their followers. We are not made leaders for our own benefits, but to spend ourselves for the good of those we lead. Those who fight to become leaders may not really know exactly what it means to be put in charge of others. It requires sacrifice. A good leader cannot to sleep tranquil, while his followers are in bad shape.
The burden of a priest as a leader
In the first reading, God warned the priests over their negligence. He said that, if they did not listen and failed to glorify his name, he would send a curse upon them and their blessings. He accused them of straying from the right path, causing many to stumble with their teachings, and breaking the covenant of Levi. Consequently, the Lord declared that he had made them contemptible and vile in the eyes of the people, as retribution for their failure to uphold his ways and for showing partiality in their administration.
However, Paul in the second reading cited himself as a leader worthy of emulation. He told the Thessalonians, “Like a mother feeding and looking after her own children, we felt so devoted and protective towards you, and had come to love you so much, that we were eager to hand over to you not only the Good News but our whole lives as well. Let me remind you, brothers, how hard we used to work, slaving night and day so as not to be a burden on any one of you while we were proclaiming God’s Good News to you”.
The burden of a good leader is a burden of love. Leaders should assume the position of a mother. They must be protective and be ready to lay down their lives for those they lead. Jesus remains the best of all leaders. He invites us to follow his steps.
Leaders as examples of humility
In the gospel narrative, the Lord Jesus warned against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, those who do not practice what they teach. They love to be respected and worshipped. Rather, he exhorted his disciples to be simple and humble and be ready to serve in all humility. He said, “The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Every bad leader shall surely be brought to book by God. As leaders we are responsible for our people. Let us not allow pride to take away our humility to serve. We pray that we have the strength and enough grace to perform our leadership roles according to God’s will.
