From: Mark 3:31-35
The True Kinsmen of Jesus
[31] And His (Jesus’) mother and His brethren came; and standing
outside they went to Him and called Him. [32] And a crowd was sitting
about Him: and they said to Him, “Your mother and Your brethren are
outside, asking for You.” [33] And He replied, “Who are My mother and
My brethren?” [34] And looking around on those who sat about Him, He
said, “Here are My mother and My brethren! [35] Whoever does the will
of God is My brother, and sister, and mother.”
Commentary:
31-35. In Aramaic, the language used by the Jews, the word “brethren”
is a broad term indicating kinship: nephews, first cousins, and
relatives in general are called `brethren’ (for further explanation cf.
note on Mark 6:1-3). “Jesus did not say this to disown His mother, but
to show that she is worthy of honor not only account of having given
birth to Jesus, but also because she has all the virtues” (Theophylact,
“Enarratio In Evangelium Marci, in loc.”).
Therefore, the Church reminds us that the Blessed Virgin “in the course
of her Son’s preaching received the words whereby, in extolling a
kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, He declared
blessed those who heard and kept the word of God as she was faithfully
doing” (Vatican II, “Lumen Gentium”, 58).
Our Lord, then, is also telling us that if we follow Him we will share
His life more intimately than if we were a member of His family. St.
Thomas explains this by saying that Christ “had an eternal generation
and a generation in time, and gave preference to the former. Those who
do the will of the Father reach Him by Heavenly generation [...].
Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say, who obeys
Him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like Him who
fulfilled the will of His Father. But he who not only obeys but
converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the
Mother of Christ” (”Commentary on St. Matthew”, 12, 49-50.)
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
| First reading | 2 Samuel 6:12 - 19 © |
|---|---|
| Word was brought to King David that the Lord had blessed the family of Obed-edom and all that belonged to him on account of the ark of God. David accordingly went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing. When the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. And David danced whirling round before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him. Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with acclaim and the sound of the horn. They brought the ark of the Lord in and put it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before the Lord, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house. | |
| Psalm or canticle: Psalm 23 |
| Gospel | Mark 3:31 - 35 © |
|---|---|
| His mother and brothers now arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you’. He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’ | |