21 July 2020
Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus must have loved living with Mary and to his close cousins, “brothers”. In order to preach the Kingdom, to do what his Father sent him to do, he left his family to live in the company of strangers, disciples, apostles. No blood ties there.
One day when he was speaking to the crowds, someone said, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside asking to speak to you.” On the surface, his retort was shocking. Pointing to the nameless crowd, he cried out: “Here are my mother and brothers. Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, sister and mother.” Was this a slur on Mary?
Who was more open to doing the will of God than Mary? All the way from the Incarnation to standing at the Cross, she was faithful to doing God’s will.
So, doesn’t being a son of daughter of our heavenly Father mean to be like Jesus, who left all to do his Father’s will? That calls for repentance, conversion. How about me?
I’ll spend some time today contemplating the life of Jesus with Mary, to show me how I can be closer to him by being more like her.