THE WORD
Heb 10,1-10 / Mk 3,31-35
His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him 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."
IN OTHER WORDS
Some say that Jesus had brothers because of today's gospel passage: "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking an opportunity to speak to you." "Brothers" in Semitic language is a generic term which also means "cousins." This is what St. Mark must have meant. Otherwise, the other evangelists would have mentioned that Jesus had brothers.
By replying, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" Jesus sounded disrespectful to his mother and kins. But Jesus only meant it as a hyperbolic way of stressing a point: that spiritual relationship is more important than blood relationship. We achieve spiritual relationship by doing God's will: "Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
We know God's will by reading the Scriptures, the Word of God and through the Church, which teaches matters of faith and morals with the authority of God himself God's will is further known from the nation's laws and ordinances, and is concretely discerned in the particular circumstances of our life, the "signs of the times." For example, the unexpected death of a loved one, an incurable sickness, natural calamities or events that are beyond our control.
Knowing or hearing God's will can be easy, but putting it into practice is difficult. For instance, Jesus says: “Forgive your enemies—and, mind you, not seven times but seven times seventy!” Or, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all, If anyone wishes to be my disciple, 'he should carry his cross and follow me."
George Truett remarkably puts it: "To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge, to find the will of God is the greatest discovery, but to DO the will of God is the greatest achievement."
- Fr. Bel San Luis, (CKMS, QC)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
