Aug 23 – Memorial for St. Rose of Lima, virgin
A beautiful girl and devoted daughter, Rose (1586-1617) was so devoted to her vow of chastity, she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. She lived and meditated in a garden, raising vegetables and making embroidered items to sell to support her family and help the other poor. She was the founder of social work in Peru.
“Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: ‘Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.’”
– from the writings of St. Rose of Lima
Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17
Mt 23:1-12
“The greatest among you must be your servant”
The importance of leadership has always been espoused by those in positions of authority. There are many secular and spiritual authors of leadership who provide a variety of voices in the marketplace of leadership theories. On the face of it, it does suggest that there is a dearth of leadership guidance in the rest of the world. However, I believe that authority is sometimes mistaken for leadership, and that it is the confusion between the two which has led to the present situation in the world.
Jesus sought to show the distinction in today’s Gospel when he asked his disciples to listen to what the Pharisees say but not what they do. In this sense, authority flows from the appointment which the Pharisees held, and all of us should respect legitimate authority. There are mechanisms in place e.g. elections for office-holders to account for their actions. However, Jesus reminds us that leadership is about action — not just continuous and repetition of the same task over and over again.
An individual who is assuming leadership discerns what is needed by the community and, more importantly, how the face of Christ is reflected in every action and decision. This requires a deep prayer life, as the individual needs to be able to gain clarity on the spiritual and material needs. The individual then needs to be immersed in community life to discover the importance of the bonds of friendship, so that every action is reverberated throughout a wider group. This is important here because no decision can be taken in isolation and, instead, will have a wider impact — both good and bad — on the group.
This requires a sense of humility that the individual does not possess a monopoly of ideas but, instead, the wider community can contribute to the growth and vibrancy of the group. The exact actions and timings of these actions will need to be guided by God the Holy Spirit, through spiritual direction and the counsel of wise people. May you have a wondrous self-discovery of your own leadership path and, in doing so, bring others along the way to God.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Jesus, let us remember to live a life of service as what you have shown us with your own life.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who show us the way to Jesus.
OXYGEN 
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