Today, the Gospel dismantles our human categories of power. Jesus is unequivocal: "Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant" (Mt 20:26). In the time of Olaf II—as well as before and after him, and indeed today—these words of Christ clashed with the mindset of many rulers.

Olaf (995–1030) was not a perfect ruler, but his conversion (c. 1015) radically transformed the way he reigned. Historically, he is remembered for unifying Norway, but his true greatness lay in subordinating his crown to the sovereignty of Christ. Instead of using power for absolute domination, he implemented the celebrated "Code of Christian Laws" at the Assembly of Moster (c. 1020). For the first time in his land, laws—inspired by "Christian law"—defended the vulnerable, abolished the enslavement of prisoners, and protected women and children. Olaf II, "the Saint", understood that legislating with righteousness was a concrete way of washing his people's feet.

His authority did not stem from tyranny, but from service grounded in the Gospel. The king became a servant. This vision of authority as an act of care—especially for the most disadvantaged—rather than oppression continues to challenge us today. As Pope Leo XIV reminded us, "Every power is at the service of communion and mission. All authority is at the service of the People of God." Saint Olaf discovered the suffering face of Christ amidst the injustices of his kingdom and resolved to transform social structures in order to heal them.

How great is our world's need to follow in the footsteps of Our Lord, Jesus the Christ, King of the Universe, who "did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mt 20:28). May the feast of this saintly king inspire us to examine how we exercise our own leadership within the family, at work, or in the community. Let us not seek to be served; let us dare, like Saint Olaf, to spend our lives in the service of justice and fraternal love.