“Act on It” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:3)
Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands. (Psalm 119:35)
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8:21)
Piety
Jesus, thank you for welcoming me to the family.
Study
If you came from a loving, generous, considerate family with minimal drama, you might find Jesus’s comments in today’s Gospel reading hard. Why the seeming indifference about seeing Mary and his cousins and other relatives? They want to see him but can’t get through the crowd. Why doesn’t Jesus excuse himself for a minute to greet them, or ask those gathered to let them through?
If, on the other hand, your background includes disconnection, disrespect, and worse, you may warm to this passage. There is another family for you, a bigger family, a family where people try to emulate the Lord. They don’t always succeed here on earth, of course. But they try. And faith brings the hope of spending eternity with the greatest Father of all.
You see, Jesus wasn’t turning his back on those he called mother and brother. He was opening his arms to embrace all who seek to listen to and do God’s will.
Action
You know who I’m talking about—the person at your parish or in your ministry or prayer group who works your nerve, even though he or she doesn’t realize it. Make a point of spending a few minutes alone listening to the person the next time you meet; look at him or her as a beloved relative, not an annoyance.
Image Credit is Alexas_Fotos at https://pixabay.com/en/
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