Luke 8:19-21
It is not possible to interpret the words of Jesus in today's gospel as rude and disrespectful to his mother and family. Being a pious Jew, Jesus remained reverent and obedient to his parents. By saying, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it”, the Lord could merely wish to give his faithful followers the same status as his own family.
To become members of Jesus family, people need to fulfill two essential requirements, namely: to understand the will of God and to put it into practice. We could learn God’s will if we find time to read, study and reflect the Scriptures and the teachings of the Catholic Church. And we become genuine disciples once we start to live in accordance with the will of God.
The challenge for us today is to possess the virtue of fidelity to God's will in our lives. Let us go beyond nominal or shallow Catholicism by putting into action the demands of the gospel, knowing that worship without good works is empty and meaningless.
