GOOD LEADERSHIP requires listening to God, which can only be done through silence, the assistant regent of the Faculty of Arts and Letters said.
In his homily during the Mass for the opening of UST’s recruitment fair, Fr. Jayson Gonzales, O.P., said Thomasian leaders can surrender their struggles to God by listening to Him in silence as they perform the exhausting duty of leading their fellow students.
“Before we can speak about God, we must first listen to Him…Jesus invites us into His family by our willingness to listen to God’s word and live it,” Gonzales said at the Tan Yan Kee Student Center Chapel on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Gonzales, also the assistant to the Vice Rector for Religious Affairs, highlighted three points in understanding the importance of silence in listening and prayer.
Discussing his first point, Gonzales said silence is necessary to hear God’s gentle voice in a world filled with distractions.
He also compared the thought to attending meetings, saying good leaders navigate meetings by being great listeners.
The priest then emphasized in his second point that leaders could slowly transform themselves by living out what they hear through silence and listening to God’s word.
“[As leaders] you have the authority to speak. But it’s not only about speaking, it should be seen in your actions. Allow the word of God to take root,” Gonzales added.
Gonzales then urged the student officials to turn their knowledge into action, leading to his last point, which focused on silence giving birth to authentic preaching.
The Artlets assistant regent pointed out that leading through action is more convincing than leaving people with empty promises, arguing that people easily follow leaders when they become role models.
“We don’t like people who give false hope. Who are those people? Those who only have empty promises and no visible action,” he said.
Gonzales also encouraged the students to emulate Mary, the mother of Jesus, whom he described as the perfect example of the three points.
“Before she became the mother of Jesus, she was first the woman who listens to God’s word and obeyed it… she perfectly fulfills what Jesus described into his gospel, one who hears the word of God and acts on it,” he said.
The Mass, which formed part of the University’s yearly organization fair, was followed by the blessing and oath taking of newly commissioned officers and a grand parade. F
