The Gospel for today is so short – only two verses – but it gives us a glimpse of how difficult it was for Jesus to fulfill His Father’s will. Even his relatives opposed his way of living out his vocation. But Jesus was firm because He trusted His Father’s will. In this insecure world, Jesus found His security in prayer and in His Father’s love. He continued what He was doing even in the midst of criticisms from others.

Contemplating on this experience of Jesus as told in the Gospel, I also remember my own experience of “rejection” or “opposition” even in the family. When I was about to enter the seminary, I found it difficult to get my mother’s approval. Several weeks before our entrance day in the seminary, she and my siblings distanced themselves and did not talk to me. They did it in order to make me change my decision of taking the path of priesthood. They felt I was “out of my mind” and that priesthood is not fit for me. Their silent treatment whenever I went home from work made my heart heavy and down. Actually, I understand their feelings because it was truly hard for them, especially for my mother, to see me leave.

Eventually, I chose to seek my vocation in the seminary. I had to sift through my decisions and choices especially during my first month’s stay. Prayer, Eucharistic adoration and spiritual direction had helped me in my discernment and taught me to trust in God’s providence. In this insecure world, I have found security in God’s love.

Now that I am in my last year of initial formation in the seminary, my mother and I get to talk about that incident in the family. We would just laugh now at ourselves because we realize that God has always been present in our lives. I am being formed in the seminary; they are also being formed at home – by the Master Formator, the Holy Spirit. The more we trust, the more we are able to surrender to God. And the more we surrender, the more we grow in the Spirit.

By: Sem. Keith R. Buenaventura

Today’s Gospel

Mk 3:20-21

Jesus came with his disciples into the house.
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.”