In today’s Gospel reading, the disciples, James and John, make a special request to Jesus. They want Jesus to grant them the privilege of sitting at his right and his left when he comes in his glory. For them, Jesus is the Messiah who would establish the Kingdom of God on earth. He is the promised King of Israel who would defeat the Romans and then reign forever. Now they intend to secure two prominent positions in that glorious kingdom before the other disciples steal them.
But Jesus explains how his disciples miserably failed to understand their ministry, even after their close association with him. So, he uses this occasion to teach them the meaning of Christian discipleship. For Jesus, leadership does not consist of power and prestige. Jesus says: “…whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” (Mk 10:43-44). Christian discipleship demands an imitation of Jesus, who gave his life for others. Leadership consists of serving and taking care of the needs of our fellow human beings.
Albert Chmielowski was born into a wealthy family in Igołomia, Kraków in 1845 during the Russian occupation of Poland. He studied agriculture to help his parents and to take care of the family estate. But Albert lost a leg in an uprising against Czar Alexander III and the Russian army. At the age of seventeen, Albert had to run away from Poland to save his life. He discovered his artistic ability while he was in Belgium and then moved to Paris to study painting.
After living more than thirteen years outside the country, he returned to Poland to lead a normal life. However, he became concerned with the suffering of the many homeless and impoverished people around him. He abandoned all his plans to become a politician and an artist and dedicated his life to caring for the homeless.
Soon, Albert founded a religious community for men and women to serve the poor. They were known as the Servants of the Poor. Brother Albert believed that the biggest problem of his time was the rich closing their eyes to the poor. He wanted his fellow men and women to open their eyes to the suffering of others and then offer their help. After a long and dedicated service to the poor, Albert died at the age of 71. At that time, he was living in a shelter he had opened in Kraków for the homeless. As a young priest, Pope John Paul II was influenced by Albert’s heroic life and wrote a play – God’s Brother. The drama was about Brother Albert leaving behind the glories of the world to care for the poor. On 12 November 1989, Pope John Paul II canonized Albert a saint in the Catholic Church.
Brother Albert and people like him are examples of leadership according to the style of Jesus. In our faith, the way to achieve greatness is to imitate Jesus in his humble and self-emptying love. Mahatma Gandhi once remarked: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” A true Christian must serve and work for others by following the example of Christ. When we join our hands with Jesus, God will make use of our hands for the transformation of the world. Let us become instruments of God’s glory by imitating Jesus through our words and deeds. Let us find the meaning of our lives by giving meaning to the lives of everyone around us.
Rev. Dr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil