Daily Gospel Reflection

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January 23, 2024

Tuesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Mk 3:31-35
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The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house.
Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus and called him.
A crowd seated around him told him,
“Your mother and your brothers and your sisters
are outside asking for you.”
But he said to them in reply,
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said,
“Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”

Reflection

Eric Chitambar '05
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Wait, Jesus had brothers? Who are these guys? The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally interpreted the brothers of Jesus as cousins or extended family members, an interpretation not inconsistent with the original Greek. On the other hand, many of the Eastern tradition and Protestant churches regard these brothers as half-brothers of Jesus, born to Joseph from a previous marriage. Either way, these individuals were close to Jesus and special in his life.

Today’s gospel reading might seem puzzling since Jesus seemingly equates his mother and brothers with the common folk around him. However, instead of viewing this negatively as Jesus demoting the importance of his family, this can instead be seen as Jesus elevating the significance of those who merely follow him. At the heart of this provocative scripture passage is thus a message of good news. By following Christ, we become part of God’s family and bonded to him like the closest of siblings.

Furthermore, true brotherhood should possess the logical property of transitivity: if X is a brother of Y, and Y is a brother of Z, then X is also a brother of Z. Consequently, any two Christians become a brother or sister to each other in virtue of their common brotherhood with Christ. Today’s reading implies that we should take the expression “brothers in Christ” seriously and respect the familial bond connecting all Christians around the world.

I have always been fascinated by stories of siblings who were separated at birth but reconnected many years later as adults. Despite being strangers, the reunion is joyous, and they almost always report feeling instantly connected, as if they had known each other their entire lives. I envision heaven as being something mysterious like this, where all followers of Christ celebrate together in an unbounded family reunion.

Prayer

Rev. Herb Yost, C.S.C.

Father, help us to see and hear your presence in the events of this day. Fine-tune our minds and hearts to pick up the often subtle signals of your guidance. Bless our efforts this day so that we may be a blessing to those for whom and with whom we work. Amen.

Saint of the Day

St. Marianne Cope

St. Marianne Cope, known as St. Marianne of Moloka’i for her work with the lepers of Hawaii, was canonized on Oct. 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI.

Marianne was born in Germany in 1838, and one year after her birth, her family emigrated to Utica, New York. She attended her parish school until eighth grade when her father fell ill and she went to work in a factory to support the family. Her father died in 1862, and, when her siblings were all old enough to help support the family, she left her home to pursue a religious vocation.

Marianne joined an order of Franciscans and spent time educating children of immigrant families. She also helped open two hospitals in the area.

By 1883, Marianne had become Superior General of her order. She received a letter from the King of Hawaii asking for help for those who were quarantined on the leper colony of Moloka’i. The king had asked some fifty other religious organizations for aid and had been declined by all of them.

Marianne accepted the request and took six sisters with her to Hawaii. There, she managed a hospital for victims of leprosy and established another. She cared not only for those with leprosy, but for those impacted by the disease: orphans whose parents had the disease, and clergy who contracted leprosy while working with patients.

She worked tirelessly for these people, even into her old age. Even when Marianne grew old and needed a wheelchair to get around, she still managed to support the lepers there. Despite her many years in close contact with this highly contagious disease, Marianne never contracted leprosy herself. She lived to the ripe old age of eighty, finally passing away in August 1918. Soon after her death, several miracles were attributed to her intercession. St. Marianne Cope is the patron saint of those suffering from leprosy and HIV/AIDS.

St. Marianne Cope, you spent your life caring for the outcast lepers on Moloka’i—pray for us!


Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Marianne Cope is in the public domain. Last accessed November 15, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.