Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 21, 2020
While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
This reading always surprises me when I hear it. Mostly because the speaker in the first paragraph references Jesus’ mother and Jesus seems to gloss over her presence. Mary is a significant part of my spiritual life and I always trust that the Blessed Mother will bring my prayers before the Lord. And yet, in this gospel passage, she is standing right there “waiting to speak with” Jesus and he doesn’t seem to acknowledge her.
I was glad that I got a chance to think more deeply about this passage because when I prayed about it (and I prayed for Mary’s intercession to understand the passage, I might add) I felt that I gained some new insight. I think that understanding Jesus’ meaning in this passage is a matter of emphasis. He is not demonstrating who isn’t important in his family (namely, his “mother and brothers” who are standing nearby) but rather demonstrating who is important in his family.
The important point that he is making is that all of us are his family. What makes us a family is our willingness to do the will of the Father in heaven. That makes us brothers and sisters of Jesus. It makes us a family of faith. It makes us the body of Christ here on earth, which is the Church. And now that Mary has been assumed into heaven we have a mother in heaven, too. I don’t worry too much about Mary being ignored in this passage anymore. We have feast days and titles that certainly give us reassurance enough: Mary, Mother of the Church; Mary, Queen of Heaven; and so on. And if we ever needed an example of how to “do the will of the Father,” there is no better example than Mary.
Prayer
Loving God, we have heard the call of your Son, our faithful shepherd. May we imitate his love and compassion towards those we serve. Help us to be faithful in our responsibilities, and in our service of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Lawrence of Brindisi had a brilliant mind and used his influence to build the kingdom of God in both the secular and sacred spheres of his day.
He was born in Brindisi in the kingdom of Naples in 1559, and given the name Cesare de Rossi. He was educated by Franciscans, and furthered his studies in Venice. He decided to follow his teachers, and became a Capuchin Franciscan priest, taking the name Lawrence.
He had a near perfect recall of Scripture, and learned Greek, Hebrew, German, Bohemian, French, and Spanish. Lawrence’s preaching was noticed by many, and he was entrusted with more responsibilities. Soon he was given tasks by both the pope and the emperor that took him through Italy and Germany, where he founded new monasteries and developed the Church.
In one case, Lawrence even led the army. The emperor sent Lawrence to help the German princes repel Turkish forces threatening Hungary. Lawrence was appointed chaplain of the forces; known for his wisdom, the generals asked his advice when they faced a confrontation with the enemy. Lawrence advised attacking, and even rode before the army carrying a crucifix. The Turks were soundly defeated, and the victory was attributed to Lawrence’s assistance and example.
Lawrence continued to assist rulers of his age as a messenger and diplomat, and used his influence to improve governance and promote peace. He was worn out from all of his labors and travel, and died in 1619. When his life and writings were reviewed in his cause for canonization, it was declared that he was to be honored as a doctor of the Church. Most of his writings were sermons, which stood out for teaching the faith so well.
Relics of St. Lawrence of Brindisi rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Lawrence of Brindisi, you were the diplomat who used your mind and heart to build the kingdom of God—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Lawrence of Brindisi is in the public domain. Last accessed March 20, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
