A Friend Who Takes Me Into His Family
by Fr. David M. Knight
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Week III in Ordinary Time
Lectionary No. 318
2Samuel 6:12-19; Psalm 24; Mark 3:31-35
"Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." Mark 3:35
How would you feel if Jesus made Mary, his mother, wait outside because he was talking to you!?
That is what he does in the Gospel. And more: he says, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Then, looking at those seated around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Do you dare take him at his word on that? About yourself?
You have to, or you deny the faith. You are the brother or sister of Jesus Christ! That is the mystery of your existence as a Christian.
By grace, the “favor of sharing in God’s own divine life,” we became real children of the Father. Jesus’s Father is our Father; therefore, we are his brothers and sisters. Even more than that, we became his own body (1Corinthians 6:19, 12:27). We need to be conscious of this relationship in all our dealings with the Father, Son, and Spirit. And with one another. We are all family.
What does that say about Jesus? How does it make you feel about having him as a friend?
Friendship is interaction. Interact with Jesus and you will know you are a member of his family.
ACTION: If some prayers sound to you like groveling before God, just insert “Father” and see how your feeling changes.
PRAYER: “Lord, be with me. Let me be with you.”
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
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