The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
Exodus 14:21--15:1
Exodus 15:8-10, 12, 17
Matthew 12:46-50

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

"Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." Matthew 12:50

Today’s gospel reading reveals a very profound truth about Christianity. At first this reading sounds like our Lord is abandoning his mother and brothers, which is completely contrary to how we see the Lord treats his family in other gospel passages. But the point he is making is this: Christians belong to a much larger family, the family of God and the Church. As Christians our family extends far beyond the bounds of blood relation.

With this comes the many benefits and obligations of being a family member. We can rely on love and support from our Christian family and at the same time we are obliged to do our part to support the family with love, charitable acts, prayer and sacrifice.

What an extended family we have! It includes St. Paul, St. Peter, our Pope and the bishops and even our Lord himself who we can call brother. At the head of our family is a Father who loves us completely and unconditionally regardless of our faults and shortcomings. This is the point our Lord is making in today’s reading as he welcomes us as members of His spiritual family.

- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)

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