Reflection for Wednesday October 15 Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church: Luke 11:42-46

Gospel: Luke 11:42-46

The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God. These you should have done, without overlooking the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”

Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply, “Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.” And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law! You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”

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Reflection:

Are we good leaders? For example, in our homes, do we walk our talk, or do we lead by example?

We read in the Gospel that Jesus is angry with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. Why? It’s because of their superficial practice of faith and leadership. The Pharisees were supposed to be the leaders of their community, and therefore it was expected of them to lead by example.

They loved to lead and tell people what to do, but it stopped there. When it came to living out their faith, they were deficient. Jesus wanted them to walk their talk and lead by example. Unfortunately, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were not like that in the Gospel.

A good leader leads by example. He doesn’t only give orders; he also shows the way. A good leader should not be superficial in his actions; he must walk his talk even if nobody is watching. A good and exemplary leader must not make promises he or she cannot fulfill. Some of the Pharisees were the personification of fake leadership and an exterior show of piety.

It is very important that we live our faith and practice what we preach. These were the factors that moved Jesus to give His woes to the Pharisees and the scholars of the Law. They were supposed to be role models, but they were only good at telling their subjects to do this and that. When it came to doing it themselves, they were inadequate.

The very clear lesson for us is this: We must practice and live what we learn about our faith. We must not limit ourselves to giving orders; we must lead and show the way.

As followers of Christ, we are called not just to speak of our faith but to embody it in our daily lives. Our actions must mirror the values we proclaim, and our leadership must flow from a heart that truly follows Jesus. When we lead by example, we bring light to others, inspire transformation, and glorify God through our lives.

As we reflect today, let us ask ourselves — do our lives reflect the faith we profess? Are we truly leading others closer to Jesus through our example, or are we merely speaking without living it out? — Marino J. Dasmarinas