OUR KINSHIP WITH JESUS AND MARY

Reading for Today - Tuesday, September 25, 2018

1st READING - Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13

Psalm 119:1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
R: Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

Luke 8:19-21

19 The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. 20 He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” 21 He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

Reflection

“My mother and brothers are those who listen to the words of God and do it.” These were Jesus’ words when some people tried to get His attention by telling Him that His Mother and brothers were looking for Him as He was speaking to some eager listeners. Far from other people’s belief that Jesus dismisses His Mother by saying so, He actually extols His Mother with those words. For His Mother was the first one who heard God’s words and believed them. She listened to God’s words and really looked forward to seeing their fulfillment in her life.

She knew, as exhibited by her words during the visitation, that what just happened to her was a fulfillment of the promise — God’s words of old — that would be realized in and through her. With those words, Jesus said something like, “Look at My Mother here. Yes, she is so blessed for giving birth to Me, but more blessed is she for having listened to My Father’s words and believing that they would be realized in her. Look at her, a perfect example of what I’m telling you. She becomes more of a mother to me because of her continuous receptivity and obedience to God’s words spoken through Me.”

Those words of Jesus should encourage us. For with those words, we have been made eligible to this divine kinship that we may perhaps be thinking is exclusive to Mary, Joseph, or even the Apostles. Now we know we can be “related” to Christ. And the way to enter this relationship is by hearing the words of God and obeying them. Fr. Sandy V. Enhaynes