GOD SENT HIS SON INTO THE WORLD IN A FAMILY WHICH HAD ITS HEARTS OPEN TO LOVE.

“God always knocks at the door of hearts. He likes to do this. It comes from His heart. But, do you know what He likes best? To knock on the doors of families and find families that are united, to find families that love each other, to find the families that bring up their children and educate them and help them to keep going forward and that create a society of goodness, of truth, and of beauty.” – Pope Francis

Gospel Text: (MT 12:46-50)

While Jesus was speaking to the crowds,

his mother and his brothers appeared outside,

wishing to speak with him.

Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside,

asking to speak with you.”

But he said in reply to the one who told him,

“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,

“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.

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.