My Mother and my brothers are those who hear the Will of God and act on it

My Mother and my brothers are those who hear the Will of God and act on it

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

Ezra 6:7-8.12.14-20, Lk. 8:19-21. Religion regulates every aspect of life and life found its principal meaning within the faith. People sought to discover the Will of God in various of ways. In the first reading, Ezra sees divine providence in the imperial decrees from the Persian kings Cyrus and Darius, in the messages of Haggai and Zechariah and financial help that came from Persia, to support the Temple liturgy and restore the Priests and Levites. Between them, Ezra and Nehemiah laid down the shape of Judaism that would last until the time of Jesus and beyond. It codified the principles of Judaism by which the people kept their identity even into our own time. Even if Ezra’s story seems monotonous and impractical to us, it was vital for the future of Judaism.

While Christians have abandoned this legalistic form of religion, we are challenged to entwine our faith with our lifestyle, as they did. Whatever our level of faith, we need an openness to the real world and cordial relations with other people. That was what Jesus meant in His reply to the message of His mother Mary and relatives in today's Gospel. His words may have seemed as a rejection of family ties: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Here, Jesus expounds the frontier of the divine household from that of "blood tie" to "doing the Will of God." To belong to His spiritual household, we must prepare ourselves to hear the Word of God and put it into practice. The whole focus of Jesus was on "hearing and doing" the Word and Will of God, so that it can shape and form our life. Our vocation as Christians is to hear the word and live by it. Like the seed that fell on good soil, we must take the Word to ourselves and yield a harvest through perseverance.

May Christ our refuge and strength, sustain us throughout the day and help us to fight against our weakness! Amen!! Good morning and have a pleasant day!!

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