Homily: 3rd Week of Ordinary Time - Tuesday - "Here are my mother and brothers"

So densely packed was this crowd surrounding Jesus that his family couldn’t get near him.  News reached him that his mother and family were outside looking for him.  Looking to those seated around him he said, “here are my mother and my brothers.”   To Jesus’ 1^st century Jewish audience family bonds were all-important, and here Jesus is saying there is no relationship more important than Christian discipleship.  The closest human bonds—that of family—are not as important as the new family Jesus was establishing.

The new family, the family of God, whose members are united around Jesus in a bond of love and loyalty, is more important than any blood relationship. 

From time to time, my family will come to visit for Sunday Mass.  They live a good hour away, and will come every month or two to the noon Mass.  Nevertheless, if there are confessions after Mass, or a baptism, or a hospital call, my parish responsibilities come first.  Sunday is also the day for family birthday parties, but I sometimes either have to arrive late or not at all because my priestly ministry comes first, and I would have it no other way.  Only after fulfilling my priestly duties can I spend time with my family.  Luckily, my family is very understanding.  But there is always a little heart-ache, especially on Christmas eve, when I know my family will be gathering at grandma’s for our traditional Italian Christmas eve dinner. 

Doing the will of God is the priority for the Christian disciple—if we have to choose between spending time with family or going to Mass, we must go Mass. 

In the early Church sometimes pagan family members would forbid relatives from being baptized.  There are even stories where pagan family members would have their Christian family members arrested and sent to martyrdom. 

But the feelings of family do not change the fact that doing the will of God is the first priority for the Christian disciple.  The absolute priority in the heart of Jesus is to please his Father, and to do his Father’s will.

Remaining rooted in the truth of Jesus Christ is the road to heaven.   May we be found faithful to God’s Holy Will amidst all of the pressures of our culture, rooted in our commitment to Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.