We have all been blessed in many ways from the families that raised us and contributed to the people we have become now. One thing that is so dear to me apart from my family of origin, is the new family I joined forty years ago and that is the Congregation of Holy Cross.
It is family that has nurtured my relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong we share our difficult moments and crises at times, but the Congregation of Holy Cross has been and still continues to be a place where I have experienced a relationship of trust, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, encouragement, support, strength and so many other qualities that bind people together in mutual love and unity. I am sure you can all give similar testimonies to different new families you belong to.
Spiritual Bonds
In the gospel today, Jesus’ beloved family comes by as he is preaching. They inform him about their presence. Without denying his biological family, as always, he used the opportunity to redefine family, elevating spiritual bonds above biological ties. He focuses on the disciples around him whom he identified as his new family. He declares that whoever does the will of His heavenly Father is his true brother, sister, and mother.
Shared Devotion
In a way, He also uses the moment to pivot from His earthly duties to His divine mission. He reveals that the deepest connections in the Kingdom of God are formed through shared devotion to God, through a shared obedience to the will of the Father. This new family is one to which we are all members in the virtue of our baptism. Through the grace of Baptism, we become sons and daughters of the Father and members of Christ's body. Just like Jesus, we too must move on from our significant families to do the work God is asking us to do as members of the universal church.
A New Family
Jesus calls us to be members of his new family as his disciples, and this requires that we embrace the will of God, whereby, we shall have to actively align our hearts, actions and character with the divine teachings and Gospel values.
- Doing the will of God is a daily practice of surrender, trust, and obedience.
- Doing the will of God is not about rigid rule-following, but about cultivating a trusting, loving relationship with God.
- Choosing God’s will is not simply a matter of saying that you choose to follow Jesus with full Vigor, rather it is saying “Yes” repeatedly to every little prompting and every inspiration that Lord gives. It is about building a habit of attentiveness to the small ways that God speaks to us.
- The fruits of prioritizing God’s will in our life, lead us to enter deeply into special relationship that defines us as Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Within this new relationship, God’ love is consistent, unwavering, unconditional and unstoppable. We are united with him, and he calls us to share that love and unity with others.
- Let his love, which is greater than any earthly love, flood our lives and be a source of strength and consolation for us in this new reality, new spiritual family.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Fulgens's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join, too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
