Saturday of second week in ordinary time, January 20,2007.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14. Psalm 47:2-3,6-7,8-9. Mark 3:20-21

Surprise! Some members of Jesus' family cannot accept what he is doing and
are out to bring him back to his senses and probably hopeful he will start
working. They even go so far as to say, "he has lost his mind." In our
last verse from the Gospel for today we read, "When his family heard of
this they came to take charge of him saying, 'He is out of his mind." (Mark
3:21). In another Gospel that follows Mark rather closely, we have this
saying from Jesus, "And one's foes will be members of one's own household."
Matthew 10:36). I wonder whether Jesus was referring to this family
incident in his early ministry in Galilee. In reflecting further upon the
family, we will soon have another event that involves his family and even
his mother who is Mary as we learn from Mark for the first time. (Mark
3:31-35). Mary and his "brothers" and "sisters" are seeking to find him,
but he is preaching and teaching in a home probably at Capharnaum. Someone
from the gathering tells him, "Your mother and your brethren are here
seeking you." He, however, is his own person and retorts, "Who are my
mother and brothers?" He then uses the event as a teaching moment and
raises the level of interaction to that of the spiritual. He then teaches
about our relationship to God as having top priority among relationships.
"Whoever does the will of my Father is brother and sister and mother to
me!" We know from the fulness of the Gospels that Mary was so in tune with
the will of God that she brought forth God's Son Jesus. She responded to
God saying, "Let it be done to me according to Thy word." I personally
think she was never among those who considered her son crazy even though
she belonged to the "family". In reading the development about her
relationship to God and to Jesus we see the true portrait, the bigger
picture of who she really is. Not only woman of faith, courageous and
prophetic woman, disciple of the Lord, but also his human flesh and blood
mother. More than any saint or holy one from the Bible she knew how to do
God's will and actually did it and not only talked about it. She knew her
son better than any of us ever will and better than his own apostles and
friends. We all would do well to learn about her through the fulness of
all four Gospels and come to realize that after her Son she is the most
important person in the history of the world when it comes to the realm of
faith and the spiritual level of life. She now continues to tell us not
only to do the will of God, but says in the great theological Gospel of
John, "Do whatever He tells you." (John 2:5). Through her life and example
we learn that "nothing is impossible with God"--even a virgin bringing
forth a baby who will be named Jesus. Amen.