Expectant Fathers

 

Understanding leadership as an exercise of love

05/30/2026

Mark 11:27-33 Jesus and his disciples returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”–  they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

John Maxwell, in his book “Developing the Leader Within You” tells the story of a chairman of the board who was running late for a meeting. He bolted into the boardroom and took a seat closest to the door. A junior executive objected, saying: “Please sir, you should sit at the head of the table.” The chairman who had a healthy grasp of leadership replied, “Son, wherever I sit is the head of the table.” In other words, true leadership does not need the head of the table, but a heart of service and mission.

I recently re-read Pope St. John Paul II’s inaugural homily at his first Mass delivered on October 22, 1978. Some of you might remember it, when he famously urged: “Do not be afraid. Open the doors to Christ.” Less famously, he noted in that homily: “In past centuries, when the Successor of Peter took possession of his See, the triregnum or tiara was placed on his head.”

He continued: “Pope John Paul I, whose memory is so vivid in our hearts, did not wish to have the tiara, nor does his Successor wish it today.” Then the new Holy Father reflected briefly on the history of power wielded in the Church by adding: “Perhaps, in the past, this tiara, this triple crown, was placed on the pope’s head in order to express by that symbol…sacred power.”

But then he clarified the true nature of sacred power: “The absolute and yet sweet and gentle power of the Lord…does not speak the language of force but expresses itself in charity and truth.” That is, the pope, like the humble but tardy chairman of the board, does not need tiaras or special seats to exercise his leadership because true leadership is the exercise of love.

In the gospel today, the chief priests, scribes and the elders challenge Jesus about who possesses true authority, real power. They want to know where are the external signs that signify the source of Jesus authority. Where is his seat at the boardroom table? They don’t see any triple crown on his head.

And the reason Jesus seems to dodge their question is because they know nothing about the leadership of love, nor are they interested. That is, leadership is not ultimately about power but about service and love. Indeed, as Jesus will soon demonstrate on the cross, leadership means dying for those you lead: leadership does not bring personal gain, but personal loss.

Today is a historic day in the life of our diocese – do you know why? Because 5 new leaders will be ordained as priests, and one of them is our beloved Dc. Christopher, who will return to us as Fr. Christopher. All five of our new priests should read, reflect, and pray deeply over that inaugural homily of Pope St. John Paul II on the nature of true leadership. Why?

These five new priests – new church leaders - will not place the triple crown on their heads as pope, but they will soon assume the seat at the head of the eucharistic table. That is, they will lead the people of God in the celebration of the eucharistic liturgy as the priest-celebrant, an exercise of the deepest love of the Savior.

Let me share how the pope-saint ended his homily back in 1978, long before our 5 new priests were born, or their parents were even married. John Paul begged humbly: “And I also appeal to all men – to every man (and with what veneration the apostle of Christ must utter this word, ‘man’!) – pray for me! Help me to be able to serve you! Amen.”

If there is one lesson the pontificate of John Paul II left as a legacy for the Church and the world it is that leadership means love, and more, it means sacrificial love; indeed, death to self so that others might live.” Perhaps we can follow our late pope’s advice and pray for our soon-to-be fathers. I remember in seminary in our last year as deacons we all got t-shirts that had written on the front: “Expectant Fathers.”

And we deacons were indeed filled with great expectations as future fathers, not only for ourselves as priests, but also for you, the People of God, whom we would serve. Today, on the ordination day of 5 new priests – 5 new leaders – for our diocese, may our prayers for them be filled to overflowing with great expectations for them and for us. What expectations? That they be an icon of the love of the heavenly Father, reflected in his incarnate Son on the Cross, and shining and serving with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Praised be Jesus Christ!