The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
Today we read a beautiful Gospel passage. Jesus in no way offends His Mother, for she is the first to hear the Word of God, and from her is born the One who is the Word. At the same time, she is the one who most perfectly fulfilled God's will: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), she replied to the angel at the Annunciation. Jesus tells us what we need to do become His family as well: "Those who hear..." (Lk 8:21). To hear, we must draw near to Him just as His relatives did, who came to where He was; but they could not get close to Him because of the crowd. His relatives strive to draw near; we ought to ask ourselves if we strive to overcome the obstacles we encounter when trying to approach the Word of God. Do I dedicate a few minutes each day to reading, listening to, and meditating on Sacred Scripture? Saint Thomas Aquinas reminds us that "we should meditate often on the Word of God...; such meditation is a great help against sin." And finally, fulfill the Word. It is not enough to simply hear the Word; we must act upon it if we wish to be members of God's family. We must put into practice what He tells us! It is therefore good to ask ourselves: Do I obey only when what is asked of me is pleasing or is relatively easy? Or, on the contrary, when I am called to give up comfort, personal reputation, material possessions, or time for rest, do I put the Word aside until the time is convenient for me? Let us ask the Virgin Mary to help us listen as she did and to fulfill the Word of God, so that we may walk the path leading to lasting happiness.
Thoughts on Today's Gospel
“O only-begotten Son and Word of God, immortal being, you who deigned for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, you who are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us!” (Saint John Chrysostom)
“Only the incarnate Word, whose love is fulfilled on the Cross, is perfect obedience.”(Benedict XVI)
“By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, ‘the obedience of faith’ (cf. Rom 1:5).” (Catechism Of The Catholic Church, Nº 143).
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