In the first reading today from Ezra 6, we see an interesting relationship between “government” and “religion.” The kings of that time, Darius, Cyrus and Artaxerxes all allowed and encouraged the exiled Israelites to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Darius even ordered that they be compensated for their trouble! Can you imagine?
In the Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus’ mother and brothers come to see him, but can’t get in the house because of the crowd. So the people tell Him that they are outside to see Him. Jesus replies, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Jesus always liked to get to the heart of the matter. That is why He often spoke in family terms.
The family is the oldest unit in humanity, the bedrock of society. Now, some of us (perhaps many, even all) have dysfunction in our family. But the way it is supposed to work is like this: when everyone else has abandoned you, you can count on your family. This may not always pan out with our human family. But with our spiritual family, Our Father, God, our brother, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our Mother, Mary, it always works out that way. As Jesus says, when we hear the word and act on it, we’re family!
Father, thank you for calling us into your family. Help us today and every day to hear the words of Jesus and act on them. Amen.
You’ll find lots of great resources to learn more about the Catholic faith at www.GusLloyd.com.
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