THE WORD
Heb 9,2-3.11-14 / Mk 3,20-21
Jesus came home. Again (the) crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
IN OTHER WORDS
He is out of his mind!"
That sounds eerily familiar.
That was said of St. Arnold Janssen, the founder of three religious congregations: the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), the Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS), and the Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAP). When he was starting with the first one, the archbishop with whom he intimated his plan said the same thing.
Those very same words, even harsher, were said of St. Agnes when she chose death for her commitment to Christ, over her family and a life of privilege, over comfort and even life itself.
I heard those words said many ways of anybody who decides to turn one's back against the familiar for a life of commitment and dedication to God.
"Bakit?/Why?" "Sayang!/What a loss!" "Tanga!/Fool!"
But ... you may want to look at the eyes of those who are "out of their minds". There is joy!
- Fr. Vic Rayco, SVD (St. Jude cath. School- Manila)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
