(Listen to this homily here).
In the midst of the feeding stories in our daily
readings—the Israelites in the desert and the hungry crowd in Matthew—Moses’
prayer offers an important insight: “I
cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me.” Here Moses demonstrates what should be
an essential characteristic of each of our lives: humility.
Using
team sports as a metaphor—I would rather have a team of good athletes that work
well together rather than a team with one superstar and no teamwork. An individual may win you some games,
but you can only win a championship with everyone working together.
Take,
for instance, my job as a pastor.
Moses’ prayer could be my own!
I cannot carry all of you by myself! Think about how many people it takes to run this place—our
employees in the parish office and school, members of different organizations
(like the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Tabernacle Society, etc.),
members of committees (finance council, pastoral council, school advisory
board), volunteers who care for our buildings and grounds, those who minister
to the sick and elderly and the list goes on.
The
lesson from Moses is important for wise leadership. A good leader doesn’t do it alone or micromanage—he empowers
others to serve and builds up the team.
Each of you is a leader in some way—among your friends, within your
family or place of employment.
Growing in humility will help you become a better leader.
But
the greatest lesson from Moses is his recognition that only God can carry the
people. Moses can’t do it without
God! And the same is true for each
of us.
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