Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: January 23, 2024

Date:   Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Ordinary Time

Scripture Text:  Mark 3:31-35

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."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel text for today from Mark could be easily misunderstood. The text does not say that Jesus did not go out to see and spend time with his mother and extended family. What it does tell us is that Jesus used the occasion to point to doing “the will of God” as a proof of relationship that Jesus seeks from all of us, from his “sisters and brothers.” And we know well from the gospels that Mary, his mother, always was a woman who sought to do the will of God, even when she didn’t understand how it could be. So, Jesus isn’t being critical of Mary, who does fit the description, rather, He is pointing to that very characteristic for which we know His mother possessed.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

Do I seek to discern the will of God for me? Am I committed to doing that which I know the LORD wills?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, You sent your beloved Son to us to redeem us from our sins when we were unable and unwilling to do so ourselves. As your beloved Son, He not only revealed You and your love for us, but in His selfless and purposeful death upon the cross, He revealed to us the power of acting in love and in cooperation with your will. Send your Spirit so that we might be seekers of your will always, prayerfully discerning what You call us to and who You created us to be. Grant that we may become the daughters and sons You created us to be as well as the disciples Christ calls us to be. We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit, one LORD, forever and ever. Amen.