Saint Teresa Benedicta Of The Cross

Ezekiel 2:8—3:4
Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

What does true greatness consist of?

We all know that true greatness is not the position of authority or the size of a person’s entourage. Neither is it the amount of wealth and connections that prove greatness. To become great, you have to be humble. True greatness lies in the quality of the sacrifices we render to bring about development in people’s lives. If someone in sorrow can smile because of you, if you are the reason why someone has refused to give up on life, then you are truly great. If you are the very reason someone has decided to follow Jesus profoundly and humbly, you are truly great.

The effect of greatness is the positive impact we can make in peoples’ lives which only comes from service following the example of Jesus Christ who is the greatest. For even though He was God, He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. That is why He has called us too to service, showing us that it is only through service that we can become great.

As leaders, if we act like Him sacrificing for and serving others then we can be truly great. Ask yourself today, are you truly humble before God, do you understand his way?As seen in the gospel reading, it is not everyone who can understand Christ and His mission. Even those who responded to the call to follow Him as the twelve apostles did not fully understand Him and where He was leading them to. Hence it is not surprising that they came to ask what they were in for. They wanted to be great in the eyes of the world because in their thinking this was all that matters in following Jesus.

But Jesus counters their misunderstanding by repeating the need for a disciple to first follow the master in suffering to obtain the crown of glory in the end. This means that even today there are some of us who follow Christ without understanding who He is and what His mission is all about. Such people follow Him for personal gains and favours that are not consistent with the nature of the God they have chosen to follow. Are you not one of them? Then ask yourself, why are you following Christ?

Finally, our gospel speaks of the Good Shepherd who goes off searching for sheep separated from the flock. May we continue to pray for those separated from our faith that they might encounter Christ the kind and gentle shepherd who goes to bring back the lost ones.

Peace

Fr. Osho

Credit:
This article is written by Rev Fr. Joseph Osho OSJ. Please visit his personal blog @ https://www.blogger.com/profile/10377666931103644634
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