What a joy to hear this... (would that adults could hear more deeply)

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I read the Mass readings today, what a joy to hear these words of Jesus:

While Jesus was 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.” (Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 12:46-50).

What a joy, to hear from Jesus, as He stretched out His Hand toward His disciples, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Jesus is seeing His “imperfect disciples” who are being called to holiness and encouraging them to be as His Mother already is in perfect conformity to His Father’s Will and as Jesus Himself as the God-Man does always the Will of His Father.

What a joy to know this truth by faith, by God’s Grace, given through Mary our Mother in the order of Grace: the Church on earth can do the Will of our Heavenly Father and be His Family in Christ! And I can be sure I am hearing truly for I have the teaching of His Church, guided by His Holy Spirit, to confirm the joy in my heart and mind. The Commentary for today’s Gospel is taken from the Vatican II Constitution on the Church “Lumen Gentium”, “Light of the World”:

Tuesday of the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time - Commentary of the day
Vatican Council II -Dogmatic Constitution on the Church “ Lumen gentium ”
“Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother”

Predestined from eternity by that decree of divine providence which determined the incarnation of the Word to be the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin was in this earth the virgin Mother of the Redeemer, and above all others and in a singular way the generous associate and humble handmaid of the Lord. She conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ. she presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was united with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in the work of the Saviour in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace.

This maternity of Mary in the order of grace… lasts until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this salvific duty, but by her constant intercession continued to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and cultics, until they are led into the happiness of their true home. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix…

For no creature could ever be counted as equal with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer. Just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by the ministers and by the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is really communicated in different ways to His creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source.

May the Light of Christ shine from us, as it shines from our Mother – perfectly reflecting Christ.

Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, Mother and Icon of the Church, pray for us.