Word to the Wise
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 - Tuesday in the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
[Heb 10:1-10 and Mark 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." [Mark]
JANUARY 24 ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, bishop and doctor of the church
The gospel scripture for today's Mass is the second half of the gospel from last Saturday. Jesus' family, including his mother, are concerned and think he is not in his right mind. He is attracting crowds and hostility from religious authorities. They attempt what, in our day, could be called an "intervention!" They do not succeed because Jesus' mission transcended the human family bonds that may have created some difficulties in the post-resurrection Christian community. Human kinship with Jesus was not an "entitlement" to special consideration. What mattered then and still matters now is doing the will of God.
Subsequent Christian reflection, especially in the Gospels According to Matthew and Luke, put Jesus' parents in a kinder light, but the point of Jesus' reply remains. Later on in the Gospel According to Luke, Jesus would say, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord!' and not do what I say?" in reply to claims on his affection and mission based on social proximity. [cf. Luke 6:46 and 13:26].
Catholic tradition provides rich resources for a devotional relationship with the Lord - prayers and sacraments and adoration - but these must be accompanied by love of neighbor. The gospels, especially the Sermon on the Mount and the Last Judgment scene, both in the Gospel According to Matthew, and the parables in the Gospel According to Luke [the Good Samaritan, the Rich Fool, the Rich Man and Lazarus, etc.] all remind us that the "will of God" in Jesus' preaching requires practical expression in love of neighbor. Our relationship to Jesus must include our relationship to our neighbor. Even Jesus' kinfolks had to hear that. AMEN