Daily Reflection – 7/21/2020
Sacred Scripture
While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. [Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.”] But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50)
Reflection
Most of us have enjoyed family life and benefitted from it. Our siblings, our parents, our children and all the extended members of a family. It is often the glue that holds together the tapestry of our life.
Along comes this teaching of Jesus. He almost sounds as if he is dismissing his earthly family and pointing his apostles to something else, something bigger, something that would take them in a new direction.
Well, we know that he is was not dismissing his earthly family but he sure was pointing his followers and us to something much bigger. He IS pointing us to another higher reality of relationships, namely our relationship with God and with the people he redeemed and whom He brought together into a covenant relationship of mutual love, care, and service. We are in fact family – His family.
We did not earn our way into God’s family. We become Christ’s brothers and sisters through the sanctifying grace we received at baptism. When we were baptized God came to live in our soul. He claimed us as His adopted children. We (or our parents and godparents) committed ourselves to Him. From that moment on we became brothers and sisters to Christ and through Christ with each other.
Like any family there are guidelines by which we are expected to live.
In His family, we are loved unconditionally. Big word – unconditionally. He doesn’t care what we have done or where we came from. He cares only that we live our lives reflecting what He has done for you and me. We have been brought together by His love and asked that we treat each member of our family with care, respect and dignity. No one person deserves less than that. That is what we have been called to do.
Pray God that each day we stay true to the mission of our family and forgive us for those times that we forget your call to us and put ourselves first.
Prayer of The Day
“Father, help me to remember all day that I may be the only face of You some people see today. Let my face be smiling and warm, my voice be tender and patient, and my actions be reflective of our family standards. I ask this in the name of Jesus, my brother, Amen.”
Daily Note
What is the essence of being a Christian? It is certainly more than doctrine, precepts, and commandments. It is first and foremost a relationship – a relationship of trust, affection, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, mercy, helpfulness, encouragement, support, strength, protection, and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity. Jesus offered up his life on the cross for our sake, so that we could be forgiven and restored to unity and friendship with God. It is through Jesus that we become the adopted children of God – his own sons and daughters. Whoever does the will of God is a friend of God and a member of his family – his sons and daughters who have been ransomed by His death on the cross.
