Jesus was the prophet, the beloved Son of God, born of Mary, parented by Joseph, cousin of John the Baptist. Jesus was the One who invited, called and renamed his beloved friends and followers. He was the child who scared his parents to death when he stayed behind to preach to the elders in the temple. He was the man who approached his cousin asking to be baptized by water; only to be baptized by the Spirit. He was the young boy who played with the village children, assisted his mother with chores and learned his father’s carpentry skills. He was the Son who wrestled with temptations as he gradually grew in awareness of his own calling in relationship to his Father. He was the prophet who challenged Jewish authority while living the spirit of the Jewish law. He was the One who healed the sick, befriended the lonely, approached the outcast, touched the dis-eased and beckoned the forgotten. He was the One who washed the feet of his beloved and welcomed the sinner to wash his feet. He was the One who fed the hungry, comforted the grieving and raised the dead to life. He engaged women as well as men, foreigner as well as Jew, the acceptable and the unacceptable.
His universal invitation was to a deeper more genuine place of freedom. “Do not be afraid” and “Peace be with you” were his gentle greetings. “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Love the Lord your God and your neighbor as yourself.” His touch was gentle, his message challenging and his position steadfast.
His right-side out message was invitation to a deeper intimacy – to a place of openness and freedom. His invitation was expansive and inclusive, not exclusive and restrictive.
In today’s readings we hear that Jesus does not respond to the arrival of “his mother and his brothers” as might be expected. He does not excuse himself to attend to them privately, nor does he welcome them publicly. Unexpectedly, surprisingly he expands the reality of their intimate relationship - between son and mother and brother to brother. “And stretching out his hand…Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” This is no affront, no betrayal of his beloved mother. It is an inclusive claiming and invitation to all, to me, to participate in that relationship. I am being invited and claimed into that relational experience of intimacy. I can only imagine Jesus’ love for his mother and hers for him. My appreciation of what it has meant to be a mother, a sister, a daughter, a father, a son, a brother as meaningful or challenging as that has been is now forever shattered. Jesus’ love has dissolved the artificial biological parameters of those relationships. Jesus is saying to me, “I not only love you as my mother, my brother, my sister, you are my mother, my sister, my brother. Enter into my love, my beloved.”
Contemplate the incredible wonder of that!
Joan Blandin Howard
After working and teaching at Creighton for many years, I am officially retired, but hardly so. Having 5 adult children, in-laws, and 11 grandchildren I keep pretty busy! My husband and I spend hours in our garden planting, pruning, dead-heading and of course weeding and mowing! We spend even more time sitting in our garden, delighting in its beauty. The beauty overwhelms me and invities me into a space of en-Joy-ment and gratitude to the Creator and Artist of all. I have much for which to be grateful. I also like to travel, read, write and make art. My ministry of spiritual direction and silent retreats continues.
I count my blessings. You among them.
Initially I thought I was writing for myself. I use the readings as a source of personal prayer. I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend in prayer, study and preparation. The writing seems to be a natural end product. The wonderful e-mails I receive tell me that I am not writing just for me and they reconfirm my faith in the presence of the Lord, who speaks all languages, permeates untold experiences, and surfaces in the most ordinary of daily delights and disturbing distractions. That the Lord would speak through me is a gift I had not anticipated.
I thank you, the reader and fellow pilgrim, for joining us on our journey. God bless us.
