75. The Soul
In this edition of The Soul we explore the concept of humility and how, in communion with God, we can daily animate this practice in order to better serve others.
What does the Lord require of you?
Do justice, love kindness,
and walk humbly with your God?
-Micah 6:8
Whether we like it or not we are all leaders and we should never underestimate our impact.
You may have heard of the term ‘Servant Leadership’, but what is it and why is it so important?
The term ‘Servant Leadership’ has its origins in Robert Greenleaf’s book, The Servant as Leader where he states, "Good leaders must first become good servants." At the time, the concept of Servant Leadership was vigorously debated amongst professionals in light of the increasing public failings of leaders across a range of fields. The discussion continues to this day as the model of Servant Leadership is still adopted by international organisations, Catholic and non, including Starbucks and Marriott International. So what is it, where did it come from and why does it matter today?
Jesus, the ultimate servant leader, radicalised traditional notions of leaders as strong, powerful men with armies and wealth. He came into the world with no wealth or armies, and inverted the old hierarchy - from leaders being served to leaders in service to others. Jesus modelled service to others with humility, love and communion with God.
How can the practice of humility draw us closer to leading like Jesus?
Humility Towards God
A true servant leader is one who is humble first toward God. They are obedience to the First and Greatest Commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." There are many historical examples of bad leaders who have wielded power selfishly over others as if they were their own god, but leadership under the authority of God is properly viewed as a stewardship for others.
From the moment of His incarnation to His sacrificial death on the cross, Jesus modelled humility in perfect commitment to the Father's Mission through suffering many trials and tests. He prayed in the midst of his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Not my will, but Thine be done."
Humility always begins with recognising that we are God’s own, called to animate His Mission, serving with conscientiousness and an eager spirit.
Humility Towards Others
The Second Greatest Commandment: "You shall love your neighbour as yourself," is related to and flows out from the First. A servant leader is one who honours others. They are not prideful or self-seeking but rather empower and encourage others to reach their fullest potential. Jesus commissioned a team of co-leaders and spent His ministry caring, preparing, and equipping them for the Mission. Jesus prioritised human relationships in the work.
There is simply no Servant Leadership without love, and there is no love without humility - before God first and toward others second - in imitation of Jesus.
Adapted from https://www.dbu.edu/news/2021/06/humility-the-heart-of-servant-leadership.html
Click here for a word from Fr Roland on 'Humility.'
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 19:1-10
Click the image above for the Staff Prayer PDF resource.
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Soul Worth Saving (Apollo LTD) - “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” Psalm 18:28
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Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly (Pat Barrett) - “... It all comes down to this; to be Your hands and feet. Good news to all the world, oh the truth will set us free. Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with You, God. In all things, in all ways, walk humbly with You, God.”
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Spirit of the Living God (Lucy Grumble) - May the Holy Spirit renew us as we prepare ourselves for the Advent Season.
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To Be Like You (Hillsong Worship) - Humble Father, help us desire You more, so we see less of ourselves and experience more of You in our lives.
- Why does humility matter to wellbeing? Click here to read more.
- As part of our life’s call to imitate Jesus, we must imitate His humility and make a particular effort to teach it to our children. Click here to read more.
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Responding to the Call
A number of flood-affected schools have indicated an interest in receiving gift cards (e.g. Coles, Woolworths, Target) to distribute to struggling families. Please contact Gemma (gemma.ballantine@lism.catholic.edu.au), if you would like your school to participate in a similar initiative with one of our flood-affected Diocesan schools.
The Stage 3 students at St Mary’s, Grafton, are engaging in their ‘Responding to the Call’ RE unit. They are connecting with a nearby school and preparing a gift to send in the last few weeks of the term. This initiative is part of a solidarity project to ensure kids in our Diocese affected by the floods have a Happy Christmas. The plan is that every student receives a gift for Christmas, highlighting the joy of giving, rather than receiving.
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RENew at St James, Yamba
This week the Stage 3 students at St James, Yamba, held an expo of their learning from their Term 3 RE Unit: Care of our Common Home. They invited younger students to learn about Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si, and shared some practical ways they could act as stewards of the earth.
- Hallow: Catholic Prayer and Lifestyle App. Hallow is an excellent resource to deepen your spiritual life. It features input from Fr Mike Schmitz, Jonathan Rumie (The Chosen), Sr Miriam and Bishop Robert Barron. Hallow also provides you with new ways to explore prayer, such as the ‘Bible In a Year’ podcast, resources for better sleep and reduce stress, audiobooks, the Holy Rosary, 1 minute prayers and even some Catholic lofi music. Make a free account or start a 14 day free trial today!
- Sr Therese Mills Ignite Interview: Sr Therese shares about the Holy Spirit and how we must cling to Jesus in every aspect of our lives. Don’t miss a great opportunity to unpack this short interview with your students.
- Tips for Praying: Prayer isn’t just another good thing to do; it’s absolutely necessary if we want to discern God’s will in our lives and draw closer to him. The trouble is finding the time and willpower to pray. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz suggests being more intentional in our prayer lives by asking these four simple questions: When should I pray? Where should I pray? What should I pray? Why should I pray?
- The Rosary: October is the month of the Holy Rosary, but what does praying the Rosary actually mean? This article unpacks the meaning behind the prayers, and why we pray them.
- World Mission Week - In this beautiful video, Catholic Mission shares the faces and testimonies of many consecrated and lay missionaries throughout the world. Find out more about Catholic Mission, a part of the Pontifical Mission Societies, here.
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