"We must be silent before we can listen. We must listen before we can learn. We must learn before we can prepare. We must prepare before we can serve. We must serve before we can lead."

The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.― Woodrow Wilson: (1856 – 1924: was an American politician, lawyer, and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921.)

Gospel Text: (MK 9:30-37)

Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee,
but he did not wish anyone to know about it.
He was teaching his disciples and telling them,
“The Son of Man is to be handed over to men
and they will kill him,
and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.”
But they did not understand the saying,
and they were afraid to question him.

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house,
he began to ask them,
“What were you arguing about on the way?”
But they remained silent.
For they had been discussing among themselves on the way
who was the greatest.
Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them,
“If anyone wishes to be first, 
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, 
and putting his arms around it, he said to them,
“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me;
and whoever receives me,
receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Reflect, today, upon how well your conscience works.  Is it, at times, overly scrupulous?  Is it unscrupulous, tending to the opposite extreme of failing to see sin for what it is?  Or are you blessed with a balanced, good and healthy conscience that does experience appropriate guilt as needed so as to guide you when you go astray?  Seek this middle way of a virtuous conscience and allow our Lord to be your daily guide.