Santhiya Philomone csc –
Readings: Heb 10:1-10; Mk 3:31-35
“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother, sister, and mother”. (Mk 3:35) Today, we are given the assurance that we are the family of Christ. We see in the Gospel Jesus asking the question who is my mother and my brothers? And He answers by saying, “Anyone who does the will of God is my brother and Sister, and Mother”.
The boundaries of “family” are expanded beyond blood relatives, spouses, and even disciples to include those who hunger for a relationship with God and are willing to do God’s will. It does not, however, include those blood relatives who don’t have the “correct” relationship with God.
On the one hand, this is a radical redefinition of what it means to have family and community. Jesus redefines a slew of intimate relationships, the boundaries, and nature of which had been developed and built over millennia of Jewish custom. For Jesus, those who work together to fulfil the Will of God are the true family, regardless of any blood kinship they might accidentally share. What counts are the choices one makes in His or Her life to be at the
service of God?
To be part of the family of Christ we are invited to do the will of God. The visible example of doing the will of God to the fullest is the person of Jesus. Jesus reflected the heart of the father living a life of service to others. Serving others reflects God’s love on earth.
Like Jesus, we should let our lives reflect God’s love by serving others. The more time we spent with Jesus in prayer, the more we learn of him and reflect on His nature. Spending time with the person of Jesus causes us to reflect on God’s will and gives us a deep longing inside to be part of Jesus’ family.