By Fr James Areechira SVD

Arnold Janssen, the founder of the SVD struggled with the idea of founding a religious congregation in a very challenging historical situation.

Our constitutions characterise Arnold Janssen as a man of prayer, of unshakeable trust in God– a man of deep faith. He was ever open to God’s plans, offering unconditional surrender to his will. An open-minded man of great apostolic zeal, Arnold responded to the call of the Holy Spirit and the needs of people.

Often when each one of us is faced with the challenges and struggles in our lives, how do we respond to those situations? Some keep quiet, others run away from the situation like the young person in the Gospel when he was invited to follow Jesus. Very few will have the courage to take up the invitation and to answer the invitation. One of those people was Arnold Janssen. As regards the challenges he faced, he said:

• “Almost everywhere people were saying that nothing will come of the initiative… Wherever I went I was looked at, with great pity, like a person suffering from eccentric ideas.”
• His second challenge was to survive when two of the three companions of Arnold left him on April 1876, only Anzer remained with him.
• So, Arnold had to trust in God all the more for strength and guidance.

In our lives we will face criticisms, lack of self- confidence, abandonment, rejection, lack of support. So where can we get strength and courage. Like Arnold Janssen we need to turn to God. This is what we notice in the person of Jesus. In his time of trial loneliness, and rejection he always turned to his Father in prayer. In the Gospels we see Jesus going out to the mountains to pray at night and early in the morning.

As regards to the deep trust Arnold Janssen had in God he wrote, “Even if we don’t have a twentieth of the money, we need for this building project, we will boldly start immediately, trusting in the Lord. We started in confidence in him … Even if a storm is raging out there and many are nearly losing courage, nothing will stop us from going ahead.”

After 150 years of existence when we look back to the history of SVD we can say with confidence that St Arnold was right and his faith in God and his courage and efforts bore many fruits in many countries and communities.

James Areechira SVD

IMAGE, RIGHT: St Arnold Janssen, the founder of the Society of the Divine Word.

Divine Word Missionaries will celebrate their Foundation Day on September 8.