Sixteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

"Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother."

We are all the brothers, sisters, and mothers of Christ when we do the will of our Heavenly Father. Mary’s life is the perfect example of living in accord with the Holy Spirit. She does this perfectly even when she does not always understand the reason God is asking her to do something. She did not understand what becoming the Mother of God would mean, but she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to your word.” She did not understand why Jesus left her side and spent three days alone in the temple, but she still kept all these things in her heart. She did not understand why her son was condemned to death and crucified, but she accepted Jesus’ final words to her and became the Mother of the Church through John. It is Mary’s willingness to accept God’s Will that is the true reason why she was chosen by God to bear His Beloved Son and become our spiritual mother. She gives us a perfect example of what it means to magnify the Lord through our every thought, word, and work. We would do well to learn from her for she knows the Heavenly Father as only a daughter can know Him, she knows Jesus as only a mother can know him, and she knows the Holy Spirit as only a bride can know her husband. As such, she shows us how to live our lives as members of God’s heavenly family.

Do we do God’s Will or our own? Have we taken the time to meditate upon Mary’s life and make her virtues our own? How can we make our own hearts open to the inspirations of the Holy Trinity?

O Lord, we want only to do your will and be members of your heavenly family.

Amen.

Sixteenth Tuesday of Ordinary Time

Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

When Jesus’ family comes to speak with him, Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach his disciples the meaning of true motherhood, brotherhood, and sisterhood. It is not a rebuke of his family members, but rather a reminder to his disciples that the spiritual family he is building is more important than his natural family. Jesus is more concerned with doing the will of the Father than with blood relations. Those who do his Father’s Will are his spiritual family, including Jesus’ mother and those natural family members who live out the gospel message.

Are we Jesus’ brother? Do we do the Will of God or our own will? How can we do a better job of knowing, loving, and serving our Heavenly Father?

O Lord, we want to be your brothers and sisters in spirit and in truth.

Amen.