Tuesday in the Third Week of Ordinary Time, Jan. 23, 2007

Hebrews 10:1-10. Psalm 40:2.4.7-8. 10-11. Mark 3:31-35 ( A Christology
of Relationship)

Doing the will of God is primordial in Judaism, the religion Jesus was born
into and practiced. We know from the Gospels that Jesus was most faithful
in doing the will of God and probably often prayed, "Not my will but Thine
be done." I am reminded of how the Jewish people are so pleased when
someone does a favor for them. They say, You have done a Mitzoth. In fact,
"To do a mitzvah is to outdo oneself, to go beyond one's own needs and to
illumine the world." (Abraham Joshua Heschel). And another writer says,
"God who is worshipped through the mitzvoth (commandments) anchors the Jew
within the historical and makes him or her understand that God's home lies
within the temporal. The revealed commandments constitute a total way of
life that must be implemented within the framework of human history." Jesus
did this so well that his life became salvation history through his words,
deeds, and through his death and resurrection. We are called to do God's
will and not to fret about saying we do not know what God's will is for us.
The Scriptures (the entire Bible) and the sacraments contain what the will
of God is for us as Catholics. Jesus death was a supreme act of love
showing us that we are now free and saved from evil to do the will of God.
And as I read the passage from Hebrews today, I was highly motivated by the
final verse which is saying what the Rabbis said and what Mark has Jesus
saying today. "By this will (of Jesus), we have been sanctified through
the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10).
And our Psalm for the day reminds us to pray its responsorial verse, "Here
I am Lord; I come to do your will." Mary, the mother of Jesus is searching
for her son and finds him teaching others about what is a top priority in
their lives. Jesus elevates the doing of God's will to a spiritual level
rising above the concerns of his family and telling us we do not need to be
of the Jewish bloodline to do God's will. All of us are called to be
brothers, sisters, and mothers of Jesus by doing the will of God. It is
therefore in the spiritual realm that we are raised above glorying in a
bloodline and that we become members of God's family and Mary's spiritual
children by living righteously and wholesomely. Jesus says it so much
better than my wordiness, "Whoever does the will of God is brother, and
sister, and mother to me." (Mark 3:35). Amen.