Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time (January 23, 2018): Jesus as your brother

Today’s Readings:

2 Samuel 6:12b-15,17-19
Ps 24:7-9,10
Mark 3:31-35
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012318.cfm

USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/18_01_23.mp3

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”

All too often as adults we have better relationships with friends than we do with our brothers and sisters and parents. Family relationships are supposed to last a lifetime. God’s plan for marriage and family — as modeled by the Holy Family, revealed throughout the Bible, and explained by the Catholic Church — empowers us to be a community of faithful love, even during disagreements and even despite knowing each other’s short-comings so well.

But what happens when a family member doesn’t want to belong to God’s family? That’s when relationships become most difficult. Jesus said that following him means leaving mother and father and sister and brother (see Matt. 10:34-36) when they aren’t following him with us. But oh how grievous it is to leave behind members of our families!

This is why God gives us brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers in Christian community, i.e., people who are not blood relatives but are related to us by the Blood of Christ. This is the kind of family that Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel reading. God is our Divine Father, and doing his will unites us to him. All those who do his will are united to him. Therefore, when we do the Father’s will we are bonded to everyone else in his family.

At the top of the list of Blood relatives is our brother Jesus. So, what is it like to have God for a brother?

Recall the best time you ever had with an earthly relative. Remember the camaraderie, the companionship. Remember the secrets you shared. Remember how you could relax in that relationship, assured that nothing would ever shatter the bond you felt. Remember playing together, laughing together, crying together, complaining about whatever was unfair, and remember the sympathy you received along with some advice that lifted you out of your bad mood.

Do you give Jesus daily opportunities to be a brother like that?

Do you spend enough time alone with your Brother to tighten your relationship with him? Do you allow him to be your closest companion? Do you share your deepest secrets with him? When was the last time you were playful with him? Do you cry on his shoulder and complain to him instead of sinning by taking your complaints to everyone else who will listen? Do you sit quietly in your prayer chair long enough to feel his sympathy? Do you pay attention to his advice (which is readily available in scripture and other avenues of revelation)? And do you tell him about whatever strikes you as funny or silly so that you laugh together?

This is the real Jesus! He likes being your Brother. Go have fun with him today.