Equipped to Lead

 

In his marvelous article laying out why we must be equipped to lead, McGrath Institute Director John Cavadini posits that it is the “co-responsibility” (using the words of Pope Benedict XVI) of the laity to take on the mantle of leadership in a way that both supports the clergy and continues to build up the people of God in various ways, all pointing toward the sacramental life.

To help move the dialogue, I propose three primary places to begin: first, the Holy Scripture—the Word of God; second, the life and writings of the saints; and finally, through prayer to the Holy Spirit, as our guide.

Of course, the hard part is the execution of such a co-responsibility. What form (or forms) does that take? How might it be structured? What does it look like in daily life?

Before those questions can be answered however, there may be some important preparatory areas that should be covered. This article recommends three primary sources to consider and use as a way to begin the process of helping the faithful—both lay and clergy—consider the proper role and processes that ensure a strong, respectful, and supportive Catholic lay leadership cadre.

In the Beginning

The Sacred Scripture is filled with stories of strong and successful witnesses to the Lordship of Jesus Christ—King of the Universe and center of all things. He was not a leader filled with the treasures of the world, like expensive purple fur-lined robes, large storehouses of gold and silver, or anything else that exudes “the finer things.” Jesus’ leadership was THE finest thing—love. We must start there for ourselves. As faithful Catholics, we are called—indeed, commissioned—to live out the Gospel.

The Scriptures have wonderful leadership lessons. In the Old Testament, the Wisdom books come to mind, particularly the beautiful sayings of Sirach, Wisdom, Proverbs, and the Psalms. These can give us a brief reflection to help center ourselves on the Lord before undertaking any activity—especially one involving leadership.

The Gospels are also a well-spring of excellent lessons. The parables in particular are also addressed to us: they are a way of Jesus calling us to truly reflect and re-think our own words, actions, and thoughts. We often say we are “all in,” but the parables can help remind us that we all have a long way to go. It’s a humbling position—and that is exactly the kind of leaders God wants; Jesus was so humble he died on a piece of wood, with a crown of thorns. But by doing so, he saved us all. That self-emptying leadership—all for the good of others, not ourselves—is what we must emulate.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Saint Luke provides some beautiful speeches that can help us draw strength, particularly during times of crisis and difficulty. Saint Peter makes a stirring speech in nearly every chapter from Acts 2-6. The speech of Saint Stephen, the protomartyr, in Acts 7 is also a rousing and beautiful defense of our faith. Similarly, Paul’s rhetorical and rousing testimonies in Acts are complemented by his equally beautiful letters.

We must start as Bible Catholic Leaders. These Words of God are important to know, understand, and absorb into our being if we are to help develop a vibrant, strong, and robust Church throughout the world.  The power of having a strong, persuasive, and ultimately personal testimony of our faith ready in our heart cannot be understated. We must believe first before we can lead others.

The Pastoral Letters from Saint Paul (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) as well as the Catholic Letters (James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude) are also essential for leaders to read, reflect, and pray upon. The beauty and wisdom of these are critical because they are written by leaders in the early Church; men who knew Jesus (and experienced Him, like Paul) and had to endure so many trials and afflictions, just as we do now. The upheaval and difficulty in dealing with groups of people, especially when being attacked from multiple angles, is similar to the issues we face today. The support and uplifting nature of these letters can be great comfort.

Been There, Done That

As Catholic Christians, we are so blessed with the Communion of Saints. The men and women who have gone before us in faithfulness, piety, and love are such wonderful examples for us all. As leaders, these holy people provide us with a profound wealth of faith knowledge that we can use to apply to the situations and issues we face. It’s also an example that we as leaders are not alone—we are all in this together.

Through their intercessory prayer, meditation on their writings, and truly “walking with them,” we as leaders can be strengthened and helped. Because the saints truly “walked the walk and talked the talk,” they know exactly what we are going through. Our emotions, internal anxiety, fear of failure, and general sinful nature are all things they dealt with. And since they persevered and “won the race,” as Saint Paul says, so can we.

Saints often come during times of crisis; they were the leaders of their time. They were the ones who had to deal with problems head-on. But they did it with grace, humility, and genuine Christian love, all things we must emulate.

In reading their writings and studying their life, we can be filled with a special grace to have insight into the path of Christian leadership. The Blessed Virgin Mary’s leadership is second to none for us; and Saint Joseph’s quiet, hard working, and simplicity is a model to employ.

In addition to the early Church Fathers, many of whom had to fight against heresies and false teachers, some more recent examples can include:

·        Saint Ignatius of Loyola

·        Saint Theresa of Calcutta

·        Saint John Henry Newman

·        Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque  

·        Saint Bonaventure

·        Saint Katherine Drexel

And so many more wonderful examples of a spiritual leadership style that we can all look up to. The list of Saints who can provide these spiritual leadership guides is extensive and probably can take up multiple volumes (or terabytes).

Come, Holy Spirit…

The Trinity is such a beautiful thing. We have a wonderful guide, a counselor, and a friend in the Holy Spirit. Sent forth from Heaven to help up build the Church and live out our vocations in God’s image, the Holy Spirit needs a new emphasis. We as People of God need to call upon the Holy Spirit more frequently so we can ensure that our leadership and the path forward is the right path. The Paraclete will respond to us when we call.

As leaders, we can do more to nurture the Gifts (and thus reap the Fruits) of the Holy Spirit. Using Spiritual Gift inventories for ourselves and others is a good first step. Increasing our intentional prayer and consideration of how the Holy Spirit is moving within us, and moving amongst us collectively, is an important way to breathe life into communities of faith who are struggling.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit, found in Isaiah 11:1-2, are useful starting places for meditation by leaders. Calling upon the Holy Spirit to help with these gifts, to increase them in our communities, and allow people to be open to receiving them, is essential. Seeing how they bear out, the fruits as Paul says in Galatians 5:22-23, helps us know that the Holy Spirit is actually with us.

We can help instill the Holy Spirit in ourselves and others by teaching and training our parishes to become excited about the Holy Spirit, not just at Confirmation, or Pentecost, but every day. Handing our prayer cards, frequently invoking the Holy Spirit, and providing accessible tools and information all help pave the way. Maybe we as a Universal Church need to consider a “Jubilee Year of the Holy Spirit” as a way to re-energize and re-engage with the Spirit of God, given to us through Jesus.

Your Plan, Our Hands

God has given us such gifts. His plan is magnificent, beyond description. We each have a role to play in this, some big, some small, but an essential role nonetheless.

By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we are each entrusted with a leadership role. For some, it’s as leaders of our families, helping to grow and nurture children of faith. For others, it’s as leaders of our communities. For still others, it’s as vocations as priests, deacons, religious, and the consecrated life. Regardless, we must first have faith ourselves, and then we must all be educators and teachers to assist others.

Leadership is being present to God and helping put God’s plan in action, after prayer, discernment, and contemplation—but it doesn’t stop there. We must help, develop, and nurture others on their faith journey as well. It requires us to be humble of heart and sensitive toward the individual, all while moving forward toward the common goal—the common good.

As Catholics, our leader is the Lord Jesus. He is our leader and our friend, who stands ready to help us in whatever the issue, wherever we are. Working through the Holy Spirit, and with the support of the Communion of Saints, we must all use our gifts to help people come to know Jesus—because we all are working for the common goal: Heaven!

Photo: Christ Preaching (n.d.) German Woodcut 16th Century. Yale University Art Gallery. Christ Preaching | Yale University Art Gallery