Gospel MK 3:31-35
The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Reflection:
Jesus is not saying that Mary is not His mother or that He doesn’t have brothers and sisters.
He is simply making the point that all who hear the word of God and act on it are His family.
There are many organizations in the world that refer to themselves as “Communities.”
Webster defines Community as a; “unified body of individuals with a common interest.”
In addition to our “blood relatives,” most of us have other relationships in our lives. Some people we consider acquaintances, others friends, and still others we look upon as family.
“For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus is telling us that those people who live in accordance with the will of God are His family, His community.
Thousands of people belong to the “family/community” of My Brother’s Keeper. Some members of the My Brother’s Keeper family participate on a daily basis while others may only come once a year.
But, when someone walks in who hasn’t been there for a while, they are greeted with a warm “Welcome Home!”
What make us family is not how often we are present, but that we are a “unified body of individuals with a common interest” of spreading the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20