Subscribe to CMMB Weekly Reflection podcast on Apple podcasts and Spotify — and please leave us a rating and review. Sign up here to receive reflections straight to your inbox.


How do you describe a leader? There’s the steadfast leader, who guides with unwavering confidence. There’s the quiet leader, who listens to learn before considering the way forward. There’s the unassuming leader, who might not hold great power, yet leads by example.

The lesson of this exercise is not that there is one way to lead. In fact, there are many. But what makes a great leader, no matter the approach, is the trust that they earn—in their motivations, actions, and goals.

In today’s Gospel, on what is sometimes called Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus explains that a leader is like a shepherd. Every night, the shepherd herds his flock through a gate to rest safely. His sheep follow him and him alone. They know their leader and they trust him.

In this story, Jesus is both the shepherd, our leader, and the gate, our entryway into eternal life.

Throughout the Gospels, we experience Jesus as a leader in many forms. He has been steadfast, he has been quiet, and he has been unassuming. Through every version of his leadership, his actions earn our trust, and we follow him through the gate.

At CMMB, we know how important trust is to our mission. Without trust, we would not be working within local communities to drive change and improve lives. Without trust, we would not have you as a part of our valued family of supporters.

It’s because of this that accountability is now one of our guiding values at CMMB. That means we hold ourselves to the very highest ethical standards in every decision made. It means we can be unequivocally proud of actions we take—and you can be, too.

Thank you for sharing your trust in our motivations, actions, and goals.  No matter how you define leadership, there is a leader in us all. And together, we lead in pursuit of healthier lives worldwide

This weekly reflection was inspired by the Loyola Press Sunday Connection