From: Matthew 12:46-50
The True Kinsmen of Jesus
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[46] While He (Jesus) was still speaking to the people, behold, His mother and
His brethren stood outside, asking to speak to Him.* [48] But He replied to the
man who told Him, “Who is My mother, and who are My brethren?” [49] And
stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and
My brethren! [50] For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother,
and sister and mother.”
(*Other ancient authorities insert verse 47, “Some one told Him, ‘Your mother
and Your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to You.’”)
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Commentary:
46-47. “Brethren”: ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and other languages had no special
words for different degrees of relationship, such as are found in more modern lan-
guages. In general, all those belonging to the same family, clan and even tribe
were “brethren”.
In the particular case we have here, we should bear in mind that Jesus had diffe-
rent kinds of relatives, in two groups—some on His mother’s side, others on St.
Joseph’s. Matthew 13:55-56 mentions, as living in Nazareth, James, Joseph, Si-
mon and Judas (”His brethren”) and elsewhere there is reference to Jesus’ “sis-
ters” (cf. Matthew 6:3). But in Matthew 27:56 we are told that James and Joseph
were sons of a Mary distinct from the Blessed Virgin, and that Simon and Judas
were not brothers of James and Joseph, but seemingly children of a brother of
St. Joseph.
Jesus, on the other hand, was known to everyone as “the son of Mary” (Mark 6:
3) or “the carpenter’s son” (Matthew 13:55).
The Church has always maintained as absolutely certain that Jesus had no bro-
thers or sisters in the full meaning of the term: it is a dogma that Mary was ever-
Virgin (cf. note on Matthew 1:25).
48-50. Jesus obviously loved His Mother and St. Joseph. He uses this episode
to teach us that in His Kingdom human ties do not take precedence. In Luke 8:
19 the same teaching is to be found. Jesus regards the person who does the
will of His Heavenly Father as a member of His own family. Therefore, even
though it means going against natural family feelings, a person should do just
that when needs be in order to perform the mission the Father has entrusted to
him (cf. Luke 2:49).
We can say that Jesus loved Mary more because of the bonds between them
created by grace than because He was her son by natural generation: Mary’s
divine motherhood is the source of all our Lady’s other prerogatives; but this
very motherhood is, in its turn, the first and greatest of the graces with which
Mary was endowed.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
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First reading |
Exodus 14:21-15:1 © |
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove back the sea with a strong easterly wind all night, and he made dry land of the sea. The waters parted and the sons of Israel went on dry ground right into the sea, walls of water to right and to left of them. The Egyptians gave chase: after them they went, right into the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and of cloud, and threw the army into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could scarcely make headway. ‘Let us flee from the Israelites,’ the Egyptians cried. ‘The Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians!’
‘Stretch out your hand over the sea,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘that the waters may flow back on the Egyptians and their chariots and their horsemen.’
Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, as day broke, the sea returned to its bed. The fleeing Egyptians marched right into it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the very middle of the sea. The returning waters overwhelmed the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s whole army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea; not a single one of them was left. But the sons of Israel had marched through the sea on dry ground, walls of water to right and to left of them.
That day, the Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. Israel witnessed the great act that the Lord had performed against the Egyptians, and the people venerated the Lord; they put their faith in the Lord and in Moses, his servant.
It was then that Moses and the sons sang this song in honour of the Lord:
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Canticle |
Exodus 15 © |
I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!
At the breath of your anger the waters piled high;
the moving waters stood up like a dam.
The deeps turned solid in the midst of the sea.
The enemy said: ‘I will pursue and overtake them,
I will divide my plunder, I shall have my will.
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’
I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!
You blew with your breath, the sea closed over them.
They went down like lead into the mighty waters.
You stretched forth your hand, the earth engulfed them.
I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!
You will lead your people and plant them on your mountain,
the place, O Lord, where you have made your home.
the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have made.
I will sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph!
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Gospel Acclamation |
1Jn2:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said,
God’s love comes to perfection in him.
Alleluia!
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Or |
Jn14:23 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him.
Alleluia!
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Gospel |
Matthew 12:46-50 © |
Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’