Family relationships are valuable. After all, it is in the family that we first feel being loved, or experience connection or belongingness to others. Our family members support us in our endeavors and dreams. However, it may not be wrong to say that our stronger relationships go beyond blood. And I think this is the main point of Jesus for his seeming dismissive words when alerted that he has family members looking for him, implying that he should stop whatever he is doing at that point and attend to them. In any case, this rather ordinary event becomes the occasion for Jesus to teach something profound concerning relationships and ties.

More than any blood or familial bond, the bond of obedience to God’s will, or listening to his word, is the ideal criterion of our relationship with him. That is, we become more a mother or daughter, son or father, brother or sister to him in the measure that we do his will, we listen to his word and live it out. In the end, the family of God is more created and bonded by our common desire to do the will of God than by any connection, even as deep or profound as blood relationships.

Gospel • Matthew 12:46-50

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.