Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Reading I: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10
Responsorial Psalm: 131:1, 2, 3
Reading II: 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13
Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12
Here is the question for our weekend’s reflection: Looking at your daily activity and the way you treat those around, especially those subordinate or under you, how does how you live teach others about Jesus?
We all live with authority in our lives. There are teachers, bosses, supervisors, parents. Out on the street there is the police and firefighters as well as the military and who, given the right set of circumstances, could rule what we do and where we go. Our faith as Catholics has authority figures as well. There are bishops, priests and the Pope. We have sister and nuns, brothers and deacons, lay people in leadership positions as well as theologians, all of whom are meant to help us define our faith as believers and show us how to live that faith in our daily lives. But in all these authority figures that walk in and out of our day, how do we decide who are the good guys and who are the bad?
A quick watch of the evening news we see all sorts of stories of those who abuse their authority for their own enjoyment and power. As a faith community the Catholic Church has been rocked, and for some shattered by the reports of sexual misconduct and the abuse of minors. We hear and sometimes see the abuse of politicians, police and other civic authorities. These corrupt individuals, both secular and religious abuse their authority because they can and because we let them. The problem lies in the fact that just to look at someone in authority we cannot tell who is wearing the white hat and who wears the black. Some will remember how old westerns use to help the audiences by dressing the good in white and the bad in black, but even today this image exists in a number of ways. So, I ask again: how do we decide who are the good guys and who are the bad when there are not white and black hates? Who do we follow and who do we challenge? From a religious perspective we can find our answer in this weekend’s readings.
Our first reading is taken from the Prophet Malachi. Did you know that Malachi means my messenger in ancient Hebrew? How appropriate given that the primary role of a prophet is to deliver the messages of God. The time was about 500 BC. The Israelites had just returned from 70 years of exile and slavery forced by the Babylonians. Imagine being given your freedom, returning home only to find oppression of another kind. How much more insulting would you feel if the very ones called by God to lead and protect you were the ones perpetrating the abuse? Much like, I would imagine, those who were victim to clergy abuse. In 500 BC it was much of the priestly leadership of the temple who brought down this oppression. Listen to what God is saying to them. But you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to stumble by your instruction; You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 2:8) Words that could be said today to some in Church authority, especially authority that tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders (Matthew 23:4). Our first reading presents to us the problem — those in authority embracing worldly ways rather than God’s ways. It is in the example of St. Paul and the teaching of Jesus that we find our answers.
Any study of St. Paul will produce the awareness that in his stay within any Christian community he did everything he could not to create a burden for those in his care. He saw his relationship to them as a loving compassionate parent: We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children (1 Thes. 2:7b). We read here and in other passages that St. Paul worked in a trade so as to not be a burden to the community. In leadership style? He was a servant to all. In studying his writings, while St. Paul saw himself as an apostle, a child of God and a sinner, he understood that his role in the church was as a servant to those he ministered to. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given me by the working of his power (Ephesians 3:7). St. Paul was in a position of profound authority. To many he was the voice of God not only as a teacher and leader but because of his ongoing inspired wisdom. Yet, rather than lord his authority over everyone he took on the role of being a servant to all.
And what does our gospel say? Jesus was dealing with a similar situation as Malachi. Not only were the Romans a cruel task master, but the leadership of the Jews were creating a hardship of their own. So, Jesus taught what true leadership should look like. From His own mouth we hear from today’s gospel: The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12) Later, Jesus would suffer humiliation, abuse and death to provide salvation and lead those willing to follow Him through the gates of heaven. These are our keys to knowing who are the good guys. Within the Church, and in many ways within the world the ones wearing the white hast will be those with a servant attitude, not just in word but more importantly in their actions. But there is more in our readings than just a litmus test for discerning correct leadership styles. We are being challenged to discern our own motives in leadership.
While there are always people in authority over us, we have authority over others. A nurse to his or her patients, a clerk in a store dealing with shoppers, a teacher to a student, a low-level accountant with a client… you name the job and I will tell you how God would have us deal with our position of authority. We are called to act as a servant to all. I am not suggesting that we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of or exploited in our call of servant leadership. What I am saying is that as people of faith we must constantly evaluate our own motives in our relationship of authority over others. I am saying that as followers of Christ our attitude should be one of humility and help to those we encounter understanding ourselves as servants to all. We need to ask ourselves are we Christians, Catholics in name only because, if we are not walking the talk we throw out to the world then we are no better than those in religious and political authority that tells us what we want to hear but behind our backs are filling their pockets and egos. Each believer in Christ must put on the white hat of servant leadership in our daily lives.
Take time in the coming week to look at how you are living, how you are treating those around you, especially those who you have authority over. This is how we teach who Jesus is and wants to be for all people, by our servant attitude. No one is perfect but as Christians we should be actively seeking the way of Christ. I remain,
Your Servant in Christ,
Theresa Lisiecki
