Love your family. Spend time, be kind & serve one another. Make no room for regrets. Tomorrow is not promised & today is short.

"And I want to repeat these three words: please, thank you, sorry. Three essential words! We say please so as not to be forceful in family life: “May I please do this? Would you be happy if I did this?”. We do this with a language that seeks agreement. We say thank you, thank you for love! But be honest with me, how many times do you say thank you to your wife, and you to your husband? How many days go by without uttering this word, thanks! And the last word: sorry. We all make mistakes and on occasion someone gets offended in the marriage, in the family, and sometimes – I say – plates are smashed, harsh words are spoken but please listen to my advice: don’t ever let the sun set without reconciling. Peace is made each day in the family: “Please forgive me”, and then you start over. Please, thank you, sorry! Shall we say them together? [They reply “yes”] Please, thank you and sorry. Let us say these words in our families! To forgive one another each day!" – Pope Francis

Gospel Text: (MK 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.”

Jesus even redefines “family.”  When told his mother and brothers are outside, Jesus replies, “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. Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

It always begins in a relationship. 

We live our faith in the context of family and friends, of parishes and schools, at work and at play.  The relationships are never perfect, but they are the place where the Good News is lived out first.  We don’t live our faith alone or among the fragments of broken relationships.  We first must be friends with Jesus, and then with our “families” – however they are defined.

Jesus meets us where we are now, as imperfect as that may be – go and do the same with others!