When we think about strong leaders in the Church – and outside of the Church, as in our political leaders – how many of them can stack up to the qualities desired by Paul for the church presbyters of his day?
In our first reading, Paul instructs Timothy to look for good men with certain qualities of leadership.
Blameless, not arrogant.
Not irritable, not a drunkard.
Not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain.
Hospitable.
A lover of goodness.
Temperate, just.
Holy and self-controlled.
Men who held those qualities were also expected to “hold fast to the true message” in order to both “exhort with sound doctrine” and “refute opponents.”
Think of the leaders you know. How many of them have these qualities? How many of them hold fast to their principles and rely on “sound doctrine” to make their case against their opponents.
I can’t think of very many who have all of these … at least not among those I see on the national and international stage, including, sadly, some in our Church.
And I certainly don’t claim to have these qualities myself. Lord knows my weaknesses are always before me and I need God’s grace to get through each day.
But here on November 12, when we honor St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr, it’s worth spending a little time pondering and praying for strong leaders who can avoid the traps of sinful temptations in order to do the work for which they are called.
St. Josaphat was born after the East-West split of Christianity to Orthodox parents in the Ukraine. But he became convinced that the Church should unify with Rome – a rather unpopular stance to take at that time, and one that earned him a brutal death at the hands of his enemies.
Josaphat is admired for sticking to his principles, despite the vicious threats he received.
“He felt, in fact, that God had inspired him to restore worldwide unity to the Church,” wrote Pope Pius XI in his Encyclical Letter Ecclesiam Dei.
Think about those who live near you … those with whom you work or share friendships. Where does their faith lie? When they question certain things about you and your faith, how do you respond? Are you working for unity with the many churches that dot the land?
Pius and Church leaders before him, recognized that Josaphat had become quite successful at his work and gave him the title, “heavenly Patron of Reunion between Orthodox and Catholics.”
Pius wrote: “A forceful man of fine sensibilities, he met with such success that his opponents dubbed him ‘the thief of souls.’”
Why did so many convert to the faith after their encounters with Josaphat?
Could it be that he relied on sound arguments – not hysteria, not name-calling, not condescending words – and a delivery that was centered on love and respect?
Once upon a time in America, such civil discussions were the norm – whether you were talking about religion or politics or sports!
Those days seem to be over, thanks to a variety of factors, including social media and the advent of anonymous slander.
True leaders who take unpopular positions on important topics are not necessarily hacked to death and fed to wild dogs as Josaphat was. But they suffer in a different way, thanks to the “wild dogs” who feed on each other and get whipped into a frenzy as they attack their opponents on Twitter or Facebook.
Perhaps this loss of civil discourse has kept you from speaking out on an important issue? Perhaps, like many, you fear that your counter-cultural opinions will expose you to ridicule or attack – maybe even the loss of friends.
With each passing day, it is clear that our Church is in need of renewal from top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top. We are living in a time of crisis that calls for great leaders to be called, formed and ordained.
We need more men and women who will evangelize an increasingly anti-religious world.
We need more people who are not afraid to be called a “thief of souls” by virtue of bringing more people to God.
Lord, fill your Church with the Spirit that gave St. Josaphat courage to lay down his life for his people. By his prayers, may your Spirit make us strong and willing to offer our lives for our brothers and sisters.
