THE WORD
Acts 1,15-17.20-26 / Jn 15,9-17
Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”
IN OTHER WORDS.
Prior to meeting Jesus, the apostles surely had their own plans in life. Jesus came, called and gave them an alternative: a new life-changing vision, mission and goal. Except Judas, they followed Jesus to the end and succeeded with flying colors, including Matthias whose feast we celebrate today. How they succeeded in pursuing a way of life which was not originally theirs is a difficult riddle to solve.
I never wanted to become a priest. First I wanted to become a lawyer but later relented to civil engineering with a complete plan of life to pursue - to establish my own construction firm with me as CEO and to support a wife and 12 kids in a life of luxury.
Jesus’ alternative was not as attractive as my plan but I relinquished my own and pursued his offer. It was not easy to understand what went on inside me. Introspection uncovered my secret to living a happy priestly life: a basic instinct to obey which I acquired from family training. With obedience, a celibate and poor life is less difficult to live.
My original plan of a family of 14 living a life of luxury lingers on. Sometimes the force of that call strikes strongly to the point of crisis. I am very con dent, though, that Jesus supports me absolutely, so, NO FEAR.
As Jesus called and personally took care of the apostles, so too, he called and personally took care of me. As he calls you to your own vocation, he will also take care of you. All we have to do is obey without reservation.
- Fr. Rodrigo Salac, SVD | HNU, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
The Word in other words 2016
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.
