Work and Prayer (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Of St. Thomas Aquinas it may truly be said that he
laboured as if all depended on his own efforts and
prayed as if all depended on God.

p.8, Introduction to the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas

Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep

"A bishop must guide and lead. The faithful will listen to him and love him to the degree that he imitates Christ, the Good Shepherd, who 'did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many' (Matt 20:28). To serve! How I treasure those words! A priesthood of service--what an astounding title...

"Sometimes you hear people defending the idea that a bishop's authority should be understood as precedence: they say the sheep are to follow behind the shepherd, not the shepherd behind the sheep. One can agree with this, but only in the sense that the shepherd leads by giving his life for his sheep; he should be first in sacrifice and in dedication."

(John Paul II, Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way, p 49)