Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Micah 7:14-15.19-20; Matthew 12:46-50)
Today’s gospel challenges the Catholic Christian for two
reasons. First, it seems to slight Jesus’
familiar relationships when he turns to his disciples as his “mother” and “brothers.” Second, it begs the question, if Mary was a
virgin before, during, and after giving birth to Jesus as the Church teaches, how
could he have “brothers´?
As a response it can be said that Jesus does not exclude his
blood relatives from a spiritual relationship with him. In fact, his mother was with him when he was
crucified. James and Jude, called “brothers”
of Jesus in the gospels, did join his disciples after his death. Regarding the question of Mary’s virginity, it
is possible that the word brother has been extended by the gospel
writers to include cousins. Or it may be
that the “brothers” were Jesus’ half-brothers by virtue of Joseph having a
family before he married Mary.
The import of this gospel is surely that we, disciples of
Jesus, have more than a casual relationship with him. When we do the will of his Father, we are as
close to him as we are to our most intimate siblings.
