Our Brother

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.” (Mark 3:31-35)

Our Gospel has us ask ourselves: Are we Jesus’ brother or sister?   Doing the will of God appears to be the way for us to judge.  Another understanding is provided by Thomas Merton in his book "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander."  Here’s a quote I found in the Center for Action and Contemplation publication "The Mendicant."

“Christ came on earth, not to wear the awful cold beauty of a holy statue, but to be numbered among the wicked, to die as one of them, condemned by the pure, He Who was beyond purity and impurity. If Christ is not really my brother with all my sorrows, with all my burdens on His shoulder and all my poverty and sadness in His heart, then there has been no redemption.  Then what happened on the Cross was only magic, and the miracles were magic without purpose.”

It wasn’t magic; there was purpose. Jesus is our brother and much more.

Deacon David Pierce