THE WORD
Jas 4,1-10 / Mk 9,30-37
Jesus and his disciples left from there and began a journey through Galilee, but he did not wish anyone to know about it. He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me.”
IN OTHER WORDS
Gyl has Down syndrome and born with a weak heart. With her fragile state, all care and love at maximum levels are showered on her. While this fondness extends equally to all our child and youth members, Gyl’s giftedness squeezes out an extra love from us all. She moves us to care for all.
On Sundays at church, she welcomes everyone with a hug and a kiss and bids everyone goodbye with the same. Such warm gestures have become a well-loved feature and tradition that a Sunday without her seems a bit bland.
No wonder the heart of the Lord beats strongly for children. The humility and the joyful love that they possess can command us to return to our simple selves. We once had this simplicity but through the years, we hardened and turned into rocks. We degenerate from having hearts of flesh to acquiring hearts of stone. We build our towers of Babel, our fortresses and our walls and hurl stones at one another. Then we succumb to the sin of pride and display our wares, our greatness, our highness and our majesties. Upon this hardness of heart, the Lord sets his face like a stone as well.
He calls a child in the midst of a crowd to emphasize who they should be like and who they should receive if they were serious to be called disciples.
One time, Gyl came to mass quite sick. Her family said she kept on uttering only one word: “Simba!” and like a General’s order, it had to be obeyed. Her heart is in the church. For someone who sometimes forgets where his heart is, I understand why Gyl –a child – comes into our lives and eloquently echoes the person and deeds of the Master.
- Fr. Ferdinand Bajao, SVD | Rome, Italy
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.
