Mother Teresa was the “executive director” of a community of thousands of nuns and lay volunteers, and yet, even in her later years of life, got up early in the morning, prayed, and walked the streets of Kolkata to serve the needs of the poor. Anyone in a similar position would have spent her time at a desk in a comfortable office building, surrounded by a team of well-paid secretaries. She practiced what she preached.
Jesus encountered religious leaders who did the opposite (Matthew 23:1-12).
“Jesus spoke to the crowds and to the disciples, saying, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all the things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.”
Jesus told the people to honor the position of these men but not imitate their example. What were the “heavy burdens” that they laid upon the people? Were they always taking up “second collections” to feather their own nests? They were supposed to represent the God of mercy and yet they were not merciful themselves.
“All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassles. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greeting in the marketplaces, and the salutation, ‘Rabbi’”
They loved to put on shows, with themselves as the main attraction. Instead of drawing people’s attention to God, they drew attention to themselves. The honor that belongs to God alone, they sought for themselves.
“As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you all are brothers.”
I wonder if Jesus envisioned the Church to be as we know it today, with clear hierarchical structures, where the people at the top seem to be more important than those at the bottom. Remember when Pope Francis addressed his fellow bishops by telling them to get their shoes muddy. Instead of spending their days in comfortable offices behind big desks, they were to be more like Mother Teresa who walked the streets and brought Jesus to the poor. When Jesus talked about how we will be judged at the end of life, he said “what you’ve done to my least brothers, you’ve done unto me.” The “little people” are to be considered as important, even more important, than those who occupy high positions in the Church. Does our Church today still reflect the values of Jesus?
Did you ever think how we Catholics call the Queen of Heaven and Earth by her first name, “Mary”? We address her as a sister in the Lord—not titles; we don’t even call her “Saint Mary.” Though she holds the highest position in the universe, next to her Son, she still presents herself as a simple woman as accessible to us as a loving mother is to her little children. Mary does not hide out in some executive office suite protected by a team of secretaries. She is the model disciple who treats the least brother and sister as she does those who hold important titles.
Jesus concluded with:
“The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
In the early Church, the Apostles took this seriously. They were so involved serving at tables that they didn’t have time to preach God’s Word to the people. This resulted in the ordination of deacons to do the table work.
As Christians, our job, like that of Mother Teresa, is to bring Jesus Christ to people. Rather than draw attention to ourselves, we try to draw attention to Jesus and treat the “least brothers” in the way Jesus would treat them. When we find ourselves looking down at people, let us remind ourselves that those who exalt themselves will be humbled. Lent is a time for our egos to step aside and put Jesus at the center of our stages.
