January 23, 2018 – Stronger Than Blood

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

Mark 3:31-35

His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him 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.”

Introductory Prayer: Today I want to encounter you as a friend and brother, Lord. I believe that you want to encounter me and transform me. Thank you for working in my heart, calling me to a deeper identification with you. I trust that you will lead me along paths of growth and fruitfulness.

Petition: Lord, help me to put my will in conformity with yours.

1. Maybe He Needs a Break: Jesus was very busy. Perhaps he was tired. Perhaps his mother arrived to give him a bit of food or a word of encouragement. But we find in today’s Gospel a Christ who is strong. He has strengthened himself through intimate contact with the Father. He has filled his heart with a love for souls. He finds nourishment in doing the Father’s will. Surely his mother was encouraged by what she found. Do I let the will of God be my strength? Does prayer transform me to the point where charity and evangelization become my natural way of being?

2. Closeness for the Right Reason: As Jesus taught and healed, people were naturally attracted to him. Yet simply being physically close to him did not count. One had to open one’s heart to receive his message of conversion. He was looking to transform people, to make them capable of living as sons and daughters of God. If I am willing to learn Jesus’ standards and act as he does, then I can be close to him. He will allow me into his intimacy if I make God’s will mine.

3. Accompanying Christ: There is a mysterious reality here. I can actually bring consolation to Christ’s heart. I can accompany him on his divine mission. I must be willing to renounce my will and do only the will of the Father. Can Christ point to me and say, “He is my brother; she is my sister; she is my mother”? I must look at my life and see what is not in conformity to his will. I must make a firm resolution to show my faith and love in the very thing that is most difficult for me.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, you give me this short life in order to become part of your family. I want to make the Father’s will my own as you did. Help me to put God’s will above everything else, so that it becomes what I most deeply desire. Then I will truly be yours.

Resolution: Today I will make an act of charity towards someone with whom I find it difficult to get along.

Homily of the Day

January 23, 2018

The first reading shows David and all Israel bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem in triumphal procession. The Ark contained the tablets of the 10 commandments which God personally wrote on and gave to Moses. For the Israelites, it was the most sacred thing in the world because it was the sign of God’s election of Israel as His own people so they adored the Ark which contained the tablets.

The Ark was also a symbol of God’s presence among men and so its religious significance was paramount. So when it was brought into Jerusalem, the whole community rejoiced, danced and sang in total abandon. When have we truly been happy beyond compare because of the Lord? Do we always welcome His presence in our lives, even if this means to give up some things? Have you ever been a fool for Christ as David was when he danced with abandon as the Ark was being brought to Jerusalem?

The gospel message is very striking. Jesus puts spiritual ties as more important than blood relationship. Family is important but doing the will of God is more important. Man was created to know God, to love Him and to serve Him. The family is the place where a man learns to do God’s will. So if the family has fulfilled its mission, then we will have many people who are always doing things for God and their fellowmen. Jesus also grew up in a family and there he was taught to love God above all things. When we love God first, we are already loving our families because we are becoming bridges of hope for them and saving them even if they do not care so much for God. We must believe that a Christian’s acts always save others, including his family.