Fr.  Benoît Grière, Superior General of the Augustinians of the Assumption, was invited by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) to celebrate Mass this past Monday, May 6, 2013. Their international session went from May 3 to May 7 and brought together some 800 of the 1900 mothers general from around the world. The theme of this encounter was : « It will not be so among you (Mt 20 :26) : The Service of Leadership according to the Gospel. » Here is the text of Fr. Benoît’s homily in its entirety.

My sisters, you have been reflecting for several days on the exercise of authority according to the Gospel. I believe that you have already received many insights on the way to lead the congregations entrusted to you so that you might be disciples consistent with the will of Jesus Christ. Today the Scripture readings of the Mass can help us complement these ongoing reflections.

The first reading, from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, offers for our meditation a group of women who came out to listen to the apostle Paul. « We spoke with the women who had gathered there ». And among them there was Lydia who « listened because the Lord opened her heart to pay attention ». You will agree with me that this is rather extraordinary for a preacher. The Holy Spirit is the one who  makes people attentive to preaching. I hope that I can benefit from the same privilege for my homily today ! My sisters, what is important is to notice that it is the Lord who opens minds and hearts so that the word may enter their lives. Lydia was a listener who was open and welcoming and so it is that we should be in order to receive the word of life.

As we know, women were the first to receive the Good News, that of the Resurrection of Christ, because their hearts were ready to listen. Lydia is the model of the believer who listens. She adored the true God and her spirit was open.

You seek to have an open spirit so that you may exercise your responsibility as superiors general to the best of your ability. You have this holy desire to serve your sisters and to exercise your authority in an evangelical spirit. The Gospel today gives us an additional insight. « When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning ».

Our hope for all who are leaders of congregations is certainly that we receive the Advocate, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. It would be unfortunate for us not to count on this presence which helps us and allows us to work according the Father’s will. Welcoming the Holy Spirit must clearly be our first job as superiors. But we must also be aware that we don’t have a corner on the market that is the Holy Spirit. We must recognize that he is given to all those who believe and who aspire to live their religious consecration honestly.

We are often faced with many difficulties in the exercise of our responsibility. We see problems and obstacles and we sometimes find it hard to see seeds of hope. Ageing, the lack of vocations, financial problems --- all of this does not make our life easy. The gospel tells that we have an Advocate. The first concern of a superior is to remember that the Holy Spirit is there and that he is our advocate. We have to develop what a theologian, Jesuit Fr. Philippe Lécrivain, calls « la pragmatique de l’Esprit », « the pragmatics of the Spirit ». We must let the Holy Spirit act in our lives so that dreaming of the extraordinary does not disappear from our hearts. The reality of our lives will be transformed little by little by the one who can do all things. As at the epiclesis over the Offertory gifts, the coming down of the Holy Spirit transforms humble and daily realities into the Body and Blood of the Lord. The « pragmatics of the Spirit » is something of this order. We have sisters who are characterized by their limits and their poverty, but the coming down of the Spirit on them transforms them into realities of the Kingdom. So that the Spirit may act, we must be « with the Lord from the beginning ». Our task is one of fidelity, of presence, of permanence in listening to what the Spirit of Lord is telling us.

Exercising authority is a way of bearing witness to God. Our authority must be a message for the world and first of all for the sisters who are entrusted to you. I assure you this issue is no different in men’s orders. Bearing witness to God as we carry out our task of governing means already to place ourselves in a posture of listening to the Holy Spirit who alone gives us the capacity to discern the truth. We are people who listen and who are sent on mission.

The « pragmatics of the Spirit » is a way of putting our trust in God who can, with humble and modest means, manage to do great things. We look at our congregation and we see that we are « a little flock ». Our weaknesses are painfully clear and it is a struggle for us to work for the Kingdom. And, still, with God all things are possible. Our « pragmatics of the Spirit » is this : we allow the Advocate to enter in. It is good to let go of fear, anxiety, and worry. We must make way for trust and surrender.

The gospel makes an important distinction. When we exercise authority according to the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, we bear « witness ». Authority is a ministry and this service reveals to the world the presence of God. It is not easy to find leaders today because too often we consider the responsibility of authority to be a bureaucratic  task. Today’s gospel says otherwise. Authority lived according to the Spirit of God is a witness. We are truly apostles when we exercise authority according to the Gospel.

It is necessary that we be with Jesus « from the beginning ». It is a question of being present to the Lord as Mary, the sister of Martha, was, she who chose the better part. The exercise of authority cannot take place unless we are first women and men seated at the Lord’s feet to listen and adore.

My sisters, the exercise of the authority is often a delicate and thankless task. It calls our life of faith into question. But it is also a witness of the Spirit that we give. We must have hearts that are light in exercising it, for God is with us and the Spirit is there as our Advocate.

Fr. Benoît Grière, AA
Superior General