Monday 3 February 2025
St Ansgar; St Blaise
Hebrews 11:32-40. Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord – Psalm 30(31):20-24. Mark 5:1-20.
Called to accompany others
Hebrews speaks of ‘heroes of faith’. Perhaps we use the word ‘hero’ too often. Nearly always it describes people who are put in the limelight. Scripture has no doubt that real heroes are the ones who suffer for what they believe. ‘They were penniless and were given nothing but ill treatment.’
The unfortunate man in today’s Gospel is a hero of mine. He experiences the anguish and isolation endured by many with mental illness. People are scared of him, perhaps understandably. Yet he is clearly a greater risk to himself than to others. For all that, he has some insight into himself. ‘My name is legion for we are many.’
Most of us have been surprised by the self-understanding of those with mental illness, a fact which makes their anguish even more poignant. Jesus listens to the man and restores him to his community. Sometimes the best way to move from isolation to connection is to accompany others on the same journey.
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