Posted by The WORD in Other Words by Fr Jojo Letada SVD (Philippines)
Tuesday Week 25 Ordinary Time, Ezr 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20, Lk 8:19-21
This is one of the gospel events where we encounter the presence and role of Mary during the public life of Jesus. The evangelist does not highlight Mary in the story but the relationship of Jesus and his disciples instead. In other words, the gospel is all about discipleship.
Maybe some of us have this impression: Why does Jesus seem to ignore his own family and relatives when they pressed to see him? Jesus did not ignore his family here. He loved his family so much. His love and respect for them was unquestionable. What he did was to place on a higher level the criterion of membership in God‘s family, moving out from exclusivity to inclusivity.
The gospel presents three important criteria on how to belong to the Christian community.
First, family blood is no longer the determining factor that makes us a new family of disciples but faith translated in three ways: trust, union and commitment.
Second, the essence of being a Christian is first and foremost a relationship with Jesus
Third, this relationship with Him is based on obedience, which is doing the will of God.
