The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the need for pastoral leaders to be compassionate and engaged rather than distant and administrative.
Pope Francis highlights the importance of authentic pastoral leadership within the Church, advocating for leaders who lead with empathy and a genuine connection to their communities, rather than adopting a cold, bureaucratic approach. He calls for 'pastors' who nurture the spiritual needs of their congregations, ensuring that they are available and approachable, as opposed to being seen as merely administrative figures within the institution.
In practice
In a sermon, a pastor might use this quote to inspire other leaders to prioritize their congregations' spiritual needs.
We are a church of sinners but we must not be afraid of holiness. Do not be afraid to aim for holiness and turn yourselves over to the love of God. Holiness does not mean performing extraordinary things but carrying out daily things in an extraordinary way that is with love, joy and faith.
I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable.
No one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial circles. While it is quite true that the essential vocation and mission of the lay faithful is to strive that earthly realities and all human activity may be transformed by the Gospel, none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice
We face so many challenges in life: poverty, distress, humiliation, the struggle for justice, persecutions, the difficulty of daily conversion, the effort to remain faithful to our call to holiness, and many others. But if we open the door to Jesus and allow him to be part of our lives, if we share our joys and sorrows with him, then we will experience the peace and joy that only God, who is infinite love, can give.
More and more people work on Sundays as a consequence of the competitiveness imposed by a consumer society.
This Christmas may we be consistent in living the Gospel, welcoming Jesus into the centre of our lives.
I'd never been around or seen a black showrunner, and in some ways you wish that it wasn't a big deal.
If you want to make a difference in the lives of the people you lead, you must be willing to walk alongside them, to lift and encourage them, to share moments of understanding with them, and to spend time with them, not just shout down at them from on high.
Leadership is providing inspiration and vision, then developing and empowering others to achieve this vision.
The biggest barriers to strategic renewal are almost always top management's unexamined beliefs.
We have to ask ourselves if we have become so focused on supporting personal choices that we're failing to encourage women to aspire to leadership.
Leaders create and inspire new leaders by instilling faith in their leadership abilities and helping them develop and hone leadership skills they don't know they possess.
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