Friday January 19th: Empowering His Disciples
January 19, 2024
Sunday January 21st: Proclaiming the Good News
January 21, 2024
“The crowd came together so that they could not even eat”.
Mark 3: 20-21
These two short verses depicting a moment in the life of Jesus is so real to me. It speaks to the passion and deep commitment Jesus had and many have in the service of others. And at the same time the relationship with those close to us are often impacted, especially negatively, by this other focus. I recall a story of a family friend who was asked to serve as a County Councillor. Then, there were no paid offices as they have now. People would visit his home all hours bringing their concerns and issues, so his family was upset and complained much like Jesus’ family. It was disrupting their family time.
When someone becomes so absorbed, intense, passionate, dedicated, in service of others, people say s/he is out of his/her mind. This is the paradox that Jesus, in this moment, asks us to reflect on today; how do we serve others and remain dedicated to family? How do we challenge those in authority whose values are not of the Kingdom without our family being stigmatised/ridiculed even discriminated against. We pray for discernment.
