Saint John of the Cross taught in The Ascent of Mount Carmel that God speaks in eternal silence. To listen, the soul must practice true silence—quieting the mind, intellect, and emotional faculties so that we stop relying on noisy interior discourse. He also emphasized that the true value of a message is not in analyzing or processing it, but in “the way you live your life.”
The message Jesus shares in today’s Gospel is that those who want to join His new family must be willing to hear and act on His Word.
We all come from families, and family means a great deal to us. Under normal circumstances, we love and treasure our parents, children, grandchildren, spouses, brothers, and sisters. At times, we may have mixed feelings about family members, but at the end of the day, we tend to rally around and stick with them.
Belonging to Jesus' Family
In today’s Gospel, the family of Jesus shows up wanting to talk to Him, probably concerned about some issues. Jesus, as always, uses the moment to offer a new teaching to those listening: His family consists of those who listen to the Word of God and act on it.
This is not a rejection of His biological family. Rather, it is a message that a shared commitment to God’s will creates a bond deeper than blood. Jesus, as God’s revelation, was announcing to those listening that they are all invited to become members of His family. The family Jesus presents opens the door to everyone, making all believers equal members of God’s household.
The key, however, is that they must hear and listen to the Word. Beyond hearing, true belonging requires putting that Word into action in daily life.
For us, too, Jesus wants to relate to us as family. He wants to call us brother and sister, and He invites us to call Him brother. For this to become a reality, He asks us to hear and listen to the Word of God and put it into action.
Reflection Points
- In the quiet of our hearts, Jesus invites us not only to listen to the Word but also to move beyond contemplation and let it completely shape our lives. Listening invites attentiveness and mindfulness of God’s presence in our lives.
- Listening to Jesus’ message is only the first step. True discipleship requires translating that message into daily action, love, and service.
- By aligning our lives with God’s will, we are brought into an extraordinarily close relationship with Christ.
- As members of this broad family, through obedience to the Father’s will, we are called to support one another on our shared pilgrimage of faith by being compassionate, merciful, loving, and caring.
- As St. John of the Cross suggests, let us pray for the grace we need to make that inward journey—searching and listening in silence for God’s will—so that we can be fully united in the profound experience of belonging to the family of God, the Church.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Fulgens' inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass in its entirety here: Family Rosary YouTube page.
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