“Brothers and Sisters”—so begins the epistle reading virtually every Sunday. It was only in recent years that I realized that while the authors of the epistles put that in the beginning of each letter, it is the Church who puts it in front of every Sunday epistle selection. Bishops often begin letters to the faithful with “Brothers and Sisters in Christ.” Today’s Gospel tells us how that got started.
The scene is an ordinary day in the life of Jesus. He has come through the discouraged perspective He had last Tuesday. He is back at work expressing God’s love and building the Kingdom. Mary and some relatives come to see Him. Apparently there is a crowd around him. They can’t get in the house, but someone outside gets word to someone inside that they are there. That someone tells Jesus. Probably people expect Jesus to do the normal thing: to say “excuse me” and go out to greet them. Maybe they expect Jesus to take the rest of the day off to spend time with family.
But this is what Jesus says, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” He then motions toward the crowd and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Jesus is NOT diminishing the importance of His Mother. He is NOT saying work is more important than family. He is NOT disproving Catholic teaching that Mary remained a virgin throughout her life. (*** See note at end of this meditation)
Jesus is giving us the VERY GOOD NEWS that we are family. His family.
How do we get to be in Jesus’ family? It is a gift given to us. We did not earn our way into God’s family. We become Christ’s brothers and sisters through the sanctifying grace we received at baptism. When we were baptized God came to live in our soul. He claimed us as His adopted children. We (or our parents and godparents) committed ourselves to Him. From that moment on we became brothers and sisters to Christ and through Christ with each other.
We became God’s children, heirs to God’s eternal Kingdom—heaven. We are family. Jesus’ family. God’s family. Family with each other.
That we are brothers and sisters in Christ, members of God’s family, has tremendous implications. It was a radical concept in Jesus’ day. It is a radical concept today.
If I lived thinking of EVERY baptized person as my brother or sister, how would life be different? I am a member of a parish with about 1800 members. I live in a town with a population of about 35,000 people. I’m sure at least 20,000 of them are baptized Christians.
How would my life be if I thought of them the same as I think of my children and grandchildren?
But, of course, my Christian brothers and sisters stretch around the world. Some of them are undergoing great persecution for their faith. Some of them are very hungry. Some of them are sick and have no one to care for them. Some are spiritually crippled by the political or social environments around them.
That could be equally true for members of my own parish or other Christians who live on my own street.
When I stretch things out like that I can see how come I don’t live as if all are my brothers and sisters. It is too much! My heart and mind can’t stretch that far.
What do I do, Lord?
The answer comes that I can treat each person I encounter today as my brother or sister—assuming that God is the Father of this family, Mary is the mother, and Jesus is my role model brother. Our family has golden rule standards all of us children are expected to live by; we are all loved unconditionally AND we are expected to act like we are formed by that love to be part of our family’s mission: to form each person in that love and to extend the family to eventually include everyone. I know I am loved. I know how to treat each family member with caring and respect–even if they get on my nerves or overstep their bounds as brothers and sisters so often do.
I think that means more than just being nice—because Mother or Father is watching!
I think that means that when I talk with each person today I listen and respond with real love in my eyes, real warmth in my voice, and genuine willingness to put my concerns aside for the good of the other. I think it means that I am both honest and respectful when I express myself—as members of healthy families are.
I think it means I clean up my own messes AND help out those who today are less able or mature than I am. I think it means there is some of the laughter of children in me that sees humor in the most ordinary things. I think it means I readily pause to play with a baby, talk to a dog, or hear a funny story.
Maybe tonight it means I sit on the front porch and chat with neighbors who pass by—sharing chit-chat conversation about weather or construction on Main Street, topics used to connect or to recall ties that bind people deeply for when serious times come.
I think it means I do my best to see each person today as if we live in the same household with the same parents—and God my Father is listening, Jesus my brother is watching, Mary my Mother is keeping tabs.
If I do that today (I’m going to try it!) and then do my examination of conscience tonight with the image of God my Father, Mary my mother, and Jesus my brother listening to me say my prayers—I wonder how that will turn out?
Prayer:
O God, my Father, You put me in a wonderful, too-big-for-me-to-grasp family, the family of all Christians. The part of that family where I live is the Roman Catholic Church. You guide me and teach me each day as Your beloved daughter. You have a role for me to play in this great family today. You want me to let people know I am Your beloved daughter in everything I do: those in my family-by-blood, those in my parish and the larger Church, other Christians, and those who are not Christians—because You want every person to realize that Your love includes them.
Father, help me to remember all day that I may be the only face of You some people see today. Let my face be smiling and warm, my voice be tender and patient, and my actions be reflective of our family standards. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my brother, Amen.
NOTE about “brothers.” There are two explanations for the use of the word “brothers” in Matthew 12: 46-47. The older tradition is that St. Joseph was a widower. He had been married before. His children were the brothers referred to in this passage. More contemporary scholarship looks at the Greek word used here. It is used in other contexts to mean cousins.
Today’s readings: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; from Psalm 85; Matthew 12:46-50.
