Gospel: Luke 8:19-21
Then his mother and his relatives came to him; but they could not get to him because of the crowd. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet you.” Then Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Reflections
“Those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Our biological make-up determines the closeness of our relationship with our mother, father, sister(s) and brother(s). Other than a relationship with a friend, these are the closest possible relationships that one can have to another person. But in today’s short gospel reading, Jesus established a determinant that goes beyond biological relationship, that is, the hearing and the keeping of the word of God. This is the one thing that connects and brings us into close relationship with Christ. Hearing and keeping God’s word means taking Jesus in our life, making him an integral part of us, with- out whom life fails. When this happens, Christ takes possession of us and assumes a central place. That is why we can now say: “I am sister/brother to Christ, a sister and a brother to others because of Christ's love for them.
It needs to be noted that this relationship with Christ constitutes hearing and doing. Both are needed in building a relationship with him. Hearing the good news is not enough. It re- quires the addition of action.

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