Whoever Wishes to be Great Among You Shall be Your Servant

Can you believe that the 2012 presidential election is already heating up?  New challengers seem to be coming forward every day to throw their hats in the ring for the chance to take on President Obama next fall.  You can hardly turn on the evening news or read the headlines without being bombarded by all of these potential candidates.  I have always followed politics closely, and even chose Political Science as my second major as an undergrad.  I can remember having a mock presidential election when I was in middle school, and politics have always been a topic of conversation in my family and among my friends – and even though we don’t always agree, we are never afraid to discuss the issues.

Fully aware of all of this political interest, and of my more active participation in our Catholic faith over the last four years, my brother e-mailed me the following quote the other week, which he came across in a book he had been reading.

"A Catholic should not enter the public life unless willing to look on such office the way any Catholic should look on any job, as a means of becoming a saint." Fr. George Rutler, Beyond Modernity

For such a short sentence, I think that this statement is really quite profound.  Many of our politicians are Catholic, and it seems that most other politicians claim a Christian faith of some variety or another.  My Congressman is Catholic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is Catholic, and so is the former Speaker – it seems clear that Catholics are appearing on both sides of the political aisle.   But are any of them actually living out their faith in the way that Fr. Rutler is talking about?  Can we name any Catholic political figure who we think might be declared a saint by the Church someday? 

What do we make of this?  What are the responsibilities of a Catholic when it comes to public service?  And not just elected politicians, but anyone who works in public service and citizens too – how are we called to serve the public?

The Catechism tells us that “those who exercise authority should do so as a service…No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.”  (CCC 2235).  “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged….Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human community.”  (CCC 2237).

We see this notion of service laid out clearly by Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Jesus summoned them and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”  Matthew 20:25-28

A Catholic, or any Christian for that matter, cannot shy away from service to God just because he engages in public service.  It is so critical that these most public and powerful Christians actually act like Christians – defending the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death; defending the rights of the poor and sick; defending all of those who cannot defend themselves; humanely dispensing justice to those who violate the law; and ensuring that the laws of the land fully comport with God’s laws.  Imagine, for a second, what good might occur if every Christian public servant remembered that he or she was first and foremost the servant of God.

When considering the subject of political/public service, I cannot help but think of one of the greatest martyrs of the Church, and one of my personal favorite saints, Saint Thomas More.  Sir Thomas More was a great attorney in England, and was eventually appointed Lord Chancellor of England by King Henry VIII – yes, that King Henry.  Unfortunately, as most of us know, King Henry VIII broke away from Rome and declared himself the supreme head of the church in England.  Sir Thomas refused to swear the oath and was eventually found guilty of treason and executed by beheading.  Saint Thomas More is reported to have stated, just before his execution, “I die the king’s good servant and God’s first”.  I highly recommend you check out the movie A Man for All Seasons about Thomas More’s life – it won six Academy Awards in 1967, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

The point that Sir Thomas More proved, is exactly what the Catechism and the Holy Scriptures tell us – service to God our first responsibility, no matter the consequences – and if we truly are serving God, then we are always serving our fellow man.

Pray with me today for all of our political and public servants the prayer for political authorities of Pope Saint Clement of Rome, from the first century:

Grant to them, Lord, health, peace, concord, and stability,

so that they may exercise without offense the sovereignty that you have given them.

Master, heavenly King of the ages, you give glory, honor, and power

over the things of earth to the sons of men.

Direct, Lord, their counsel, following what is pleasing and acceptable in your sight,

so that by exercising with devotion and in peace and gentleness

the power that you have given to them, they may find favor with you. (CCC 1900)