Brothers

[Eucharisted]

The prophet refers to some men saying: When they say to you: You are not our brothers, you are to tell them: You are our brothers. Consider whom he intended by these words. Were they the pagans? Hardly; for nowhere either in Scripture or in our traditional manner of speaking do we find them called our brothers. Nor could it refer to the Jews, who do not believe in Christ. Read Saint Paul and you will see that when he speaks of “brothers,” without any qualification, he refers always to Christians. If they say, “Why do you seek us? What do you want of us?” we should reply: You are our brothers. They may say, “Leave us alone. We have nothing to do with you.” But we have everything to do with you, for we are one in our belief in Christ; and so we should be in one body, under one head.

– St. Augustine

Matthew 13
44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,
46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

 

[Selene]

The prophet refers to some men saying: When they say to you: You are not our brothers, you are to tell them: You are our brothers. Consider whom he intended by these words. Were they the pagans? Hardly; for nowhere either in Scripture or in our traditional manner of speaking do we find them called our brothers. Nor could it refer to the Jews, who do not believe in Christ. Read Saint Paul and you will see that when he speaks of “brothers,” without any qualification, he refers always to Christians. If they say, “Why do you seek us? What do you want of us?” we should reply: You are our brothers. They may say, “Leave us alone. We have nothing to do with you.” But we have everything to do with you, for we are one in our belief in Christ; and so we should be in one body, under one head.

– St. Augustine

Hello Eucharisted,

All mankind are brothers and sisters because all humans are made in the “image of God.” The genealogy of Jesus Christ was not only traced back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1–17), but His geneology was also traced back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), to show that Jesus is also connected to the entire human race whom God loves and calls His children for we are all made from one stock - the human race (Acts 17:26-28). According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul spoke these words before the Council of Areopagus, who were pagans.

Acts 17:26-28 From one single stock He not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but He decreed how long each nation should florish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. And He did this so that all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards Him, succeed in finding Him. Yet in fact He is not far from any of us, since it is in Him that we live, and move, and exist as indeed some of your own writers have said: “We are all His children.”

Also according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 360-361); “Because of its common origin the human race forms a unity, for 'from one ancestor [God] made all nations to inhabit the whole earth…This law of human solidarity and charity without exclusing the rich variety of persons, cultures, and peoples, assures us that all men are truly brethren.”

And from CCC 1931: “…Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a “neighbor,” a brother.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church also calls the Jewish people an “elder brother” because they were the first to receive God’s revelation (CCC 63).

Peace be with you,
Selene