Our family is always concerned about us. Our parents continue to worry about us even when we have grown up and moved away. I learned that I could not tell my mother not to worry about me, it was in her DNA. She is probably still worrying in heaven! We see this same concern with Jesus’ family in today’s Gospel. Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him but were “unable to join him because of the crowd.” They probably did not completely understand what was happening to Jesus and why crowds were following him and like any mother, Mary worried about Jesus.
Jesus’ reply to the announcement that his family wants to see him sounds harsh, at least at first: “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” In fact, Mary is not only a model physical mother but also a model spiritual mother. Luke brings this out explicitly in Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel. The angel greets Mary with these words: “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28). While Mary does not completely understand God’s will and way, she hears God’s annunciation and acts on it: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). So, Mary fits Jesus’ definition of family, “those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
You and I are also members of Jesus’ family and daughters and sons of God. Today’s Gospel sets before us Mary as the model to imitate. Each day we are called upon to listen to the word of God, to pray over this word and allow God to speak to us through his word. Then you and are called upon to act on that word as best that we can. We may not be perfect followers like Mary, but God does not expect perfection. He just asks us to try each day to be faithful followers of Jesus. Let us listen to God’s word today and respond: “I am the servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.”
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Image: “Michaelango statue of Mary and Jesus” by SpringFamily is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.