Pope St. Gregory the Great often used the Gospel passage from this weekend when presenting the ideal image of a pastoral leader. For him, the model was always Christ, the Good Shepherd. For Pope St. Gregory, a pastoral leader was to be a person who closely embodied the qualities of the Good Shepherd Himself. By presenting Christ as the ideal, Pope St. Gregory offered a particular model of leadership he deemed appropriate. He asserted: “You have heard, my friends, in the Gospel reading something meant for your instruction. Jesus adds the character of goodness, which we are to imitate, saying, ‘The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep’. Jesus did what he taught; He gave an example of what He commanded.” This form of leadership was based on mercy and charity not on pride and the desire for self-promotion. That kind of leader, exemplified by the hired man in the Gospel, acts not out of love for others, but rather, out of love for self, which closes one’s eyes to the needs of others. They have little or no concern for the needs of their brothers and sisters. From this perspective, a consequence of focusing on self is a style of leadership that seeks to preserve, at all costs, one’s status. That brand of leadership, for Pope St. Gregory, was incompatible with his image of a leader. It rendered one incapable of fulfilling the overall task of leadership; namely, seeking, preparing, and saving souls. This Good Shepherd Sunday please pray for leaders who are rooted in the model and example of Christ, the Good Shephard.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Fr. Wayne