HOMILY FOR: 31ST SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME (YEAR I)
HOMILY FOR: 31ST SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME (YEAR I)
THEME: AGAINST PHARASAIC ATTITUDE OF LEADERSHIP!
By: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)
*Mal 1: 14 – 2: 10, 1 Thess 2: 7 – 13, Matt 23: 1 – 12.
A. PREAMBLE
One of the greatest and most revolutionary teachings of Christ is his concept of leadership as service. In the Church, the responsibility of priesthood, being a Church elder, Parish Councilor or Station Councilor is a responsibility of leadership through service. Church leaders are servants of God who must continue to glorify and not themselves.
In today’s 1st reading, the warning is for priests: ‘If you do not find it in your heart to glorify my name…I will send a curse on you and curse your very blessing!’. It goes ahead to warn the priests who have destroyed the “covenant of Levi” – the deflections in priestly integrity. What are they?
(i) Deflections in faith – Preaching the wrong way. Canvassing for private money and emphasizing prosperity more than salvation.
(ii) Deflections in humility – Lacking in servant leadership.
(iii) Deflections in chastity – Breaking of our celibate vow and making people honour as celibates when we are not.
(iv) Deflections in love – Poor devotion to Parish administration and poor human relationship.
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B. PHARISAIC BEHAVIOR
According to Vima Dasan, ‘Our greatest need in the Church today is leaders who know the way, show the way and walk the way’. Nothing kills Christianity like hypocrisy and Pharisaic behavior. Christian leaders are warned today against ‘Pharisaic behavior’; preaching one thing and doing opposite, seeking for cheap popularity, craze for vain titles ( having people call you ‘Rabbi’ – Doctor, Father, Professor) and always wanting to occupy front seats in occasions, etc. Christ says: ‘The greatest among you must be your servants’
The warning against Pharisaic attitude in leadership is not only addressed to the clergy but also to the laity. We need humble Politicians who will show us good example of how to lead by service and reduce the cost of governance. If we say that Nigeria is in economic recession then the Executive and Legislative Arm should cut down on their salaries and reduce the expensive cars that form their convoys.
We need good Vice Chancellors and Professors in our Universities who won’t be partial or take bribe for employments and admissions but insist on merit and transparent scrutiny. We need good Principals and Headmasters who will show exemplary life of discipline and morality to our young students. We need humble Parish Councilors and leaders of different arms and societies in the Church who will do their work without any financial gain.
C. CONCLUSION
Schweitzer says that there are 2 classes of people on Earth – the helpers and non helpers, those who have the servant- mentality and those who have the boss mentality. Where do you belong?
We need men of integrity in this Country in every aspect of our lives especially the Judiciary which is supposed to be the last hope of the common man. According to David Diebel, ‘Integrity is being what you said you are and doing what you said you will do’. We need Leaders with integrity, teachers, traders, artisans, contractors…with integrity. It does appear that the non Christian Countries like China and Japan are ahead of us in the area of integrity and hardwork just because many of our leaders are hypocrites. Pope Paul VI said that ‘The modern man wants more witnesses than preachers. And even if they will listen to preachers it is because they are witnesses’.
I will like to end by reminding priests of our priestly mandate at Deaconate Ordination: RECEIVE THE BOOK OF THE GOSPEL; BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ, PREACH WHAT YOU BELIEVE AND PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH! And to the rest of us I say with St James: ‘Let us be doers of the Word and not mere hearers, deceiving ourselves’, Js 2: 17. Happy Sunday dear friends!
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