When is the last time you took a quiet moment and allowed yourself the inner silence to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit? To what were you invited—conflict resolution, another perspective, decisive action, compelling insight, inner peace, silence? Did you follow the prompting? One Sunday in November 2008, the Feast of Christ the King, such a moment of quiet prompting led me to attend a different parish and a later-than-usual Mass. But it was not until the homily that I realized what a gift I’d been given. Let me share with you the heart of that sermon: the remarkable story of one leader’s life-changing encounter with Pope John Paul II. Father Sonny Rameriz began to paint a vivid picture of what it means to truly lead like Christ: No excuses. No fanfare. No hesitation. Fr. Sonny Rameriz, former director of Radio Veritas, is tall, robust man, nearly flawless in his English-speaking skills. His appointed position as director of one of the largest Catholic radio networks in the world, broadcasting throughout all of Indonesia and the Philippines, was much envied by his fellow priests. At the time, still a young priest, he felt pretty lucky himself with his assignment. But last Sunday, while visiting St. Joseph’s parish—a small parish community nestled amid a cluster of cities in the San Francisco East Bay—Fr. Sonny spoke about a very different experience, not at all related to his leadership at Radio Veritatis. Instead, he painted a vivid picture of what it means to truly lead like Christ —No excuses, No fanfare. No hesitation. The theme of that...
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