Who are your role models? Who are the people you try to emulate? Who are the people you look up to? Their lives are unique to them and you have a unique life as well. But in growing your spirit and your relationships, who teaches you to be better from your worst self and even better than your perceived best self? While having idols is not bad, we need to also help ourselves by way of asking: “How am I growing in my relationships because of the people I look up to?” More than anything else, we need to have role models rather than idols — people we can get inspiration from and motivation to be better than our best selves. Our role models need not be the best actors, writers, sport personalities or impersonators in town. In fact, they are not the best role models because they hide behind certain general criteria, which elevate them to the “idol” standards. We need not look too far and beyond to find our role models. They can simply be at home, in school or within the Church. The Gospel today surprises us with Jesus’ words: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith,” and He was referring to a centurion. Being responsible for the training and discipline of the legionaries under his command, a centurion has a well-deserved reputation for dealing out harsh punishment among his subjects. But what do we read in the Gospel today? The centurion says: “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed.” It is the heart of the centurion speaking, proclaiming his love for his ailing beloved servant. Find this centurion within you. Like a centurion, you may be the leader of a hundred or so people, or maybe even only a handful. But the invitation is the same: to be a leader with a heart for his people, who truly cares and is humble enough to recognize that he is also under a greater Leader, one he considers to be his role model. ~ Fr. Erick Y. Santos, OFS, from Sabbath REFLECTION QUESTION: How do you show your love and concern to the little servants under your watch? Lord, give me the heart of the centurion who humbly sought from You the healing and well being of his beloved subject. Amen.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 10:04:58 +0000
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