24th Week, Tuesday, Sept 16; Sts Cornelius and Cyprian
1 Timothy 3:1-13 / Luke 7:11-17
Paul talks about leaders: Leaders should have proven virtue.
A New York-bound Amtrak train had a serious accident in Mansfield, Ohio. Two engines and fifteen cars of the Broadway Limited jumped the tracks and went flying against an embankment. Panic threatened to strike the 400 passengers. But then a calm, familiar voice rang out. "This is Pearl, honey! Don't worry, honey! Honey, everything's going to be all right!" The voice belonged to singer Pearl Bailey. Clad only in a night robe and sneakers, she moved among the injured, encouraging them. "She was something out there," said one of the rescue workers.
Paul's discussion of leadership reminds us that, at times, leadership must be exercised not just by official leaders but by all of us. Just as Pearl Bailey saw a need and filled it, so we should respond to the needs of the Church when we see them.
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How capable are we of leadership in a crisis? "You can't lead anyone else further than you have gone yourself." Gene Mauch
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St. Paul writes to Timothy on people fit to be ministerial leaders in the Church: bishops, priests, and deacons. He presupposes that they are from the people and close to the people, as they still were in those days. Then, aside from having some leadership qualities, they must first of all be good Christians themselves, who are credible because they live as they teach. Then, their word will be as mighty as that of Christ, who could raise the dead to life.
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Prayer
Lord our God, the word of your Son was mighty for he lived as he taught and he was a free person. And he could heal the sick and raise the dead to life. Give to your Church credible leaders who lead in living the life of your Son. Let their words and deeds stir our hearts and bring us the new life of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
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Saints Cornelius and Cyprian
Feast day September 16
In the third century, the emperor Decius decided that all who would not give up their Christian faith should be killed. The pope, Fabian, was martyred along with many others. But there were apostates, Christians who did give up their faith. Emperor Decius thought that without a pope, the Church would die, so he prevented the election of another bishop of Rome. A council of priests secretly carried on the work. After a year, while the emperor was away at war, Cornelius was elected pope.
Cornelius found himself in the midst of problems. A priest named Novatian—who became an antipope—and his followers believed that apostates could not be accepted back into the Church even if they had repented. Cornelius called a council of bishops together to settle the dispute. The council reaffirmed Cornelius’s position as pope and condemned Novatian’s view. After two years as pope, Cornelius was arrested under the emperor’s rule and sentenced to banishment. He died in exile in 253.
Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage in North Africa, was a friend and supporter of Cornelius’s at this time. Cyprian was born in Carthage about 210, the son of pagan parents. Cyprian lived a virtuous life after being converted to Christianity as an adult. He was made a priest and then a bishop.
As bishop of Carthage for nearly 10 years, Cyprian had only one year of peace. After that, the persecutions under Decius began, as well as disagreements over what to do with apostates. Like Cornelius, Cyprian had to deal with Novatian. New persecutions broke out under Emperor Valerian. Cyprian was arrested and tried for being a Christian. When he was read his death sentence, he exclaimed “Blessed be God!” He was martyred in 258.
Cornelius and Cyprian encouraged each other to lead virtuous, self-sacrificing, and loving lives for God. There is no greater gift that one friend can offer to another. Today let us think of ways to help our friends grow closer to God.
