Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Last week I was stopped in the halls of the primary school where I work by a particularly inquisitive student. “Hermano! I got a question…“ I smiled at him waiting, I could tell by the twisted look on his face he had been thinking through the details of this intellectual wrestling match.
“If God is everyone’s Father, then…that means Jesus is our Brother….and so… uhh… are we all siblings?”
I smiled, “In a word, Miguel, yes. To God we are.” I was left astonished at his insightfulness and the fact that he had clearly been mulling this over for a few days.
“So that makes you my bro… who is a BRO!” he laughed and ran back to class.
Miguel understands today’s scripture better than most. Certainly better than I do. Let’s take Jesus’ words seriously and widen our circle of who is our family.
—Br. Matt Wooters, SJ, is a social worker at Nativity Jesuit Academy in Milwaukee, WI.
Holy Spirit, widen the circle of my heart,
To practice radical hospitality to those who aren’t like me.
Holy Spirit, flood me with your passion,
To wash away my bias, fear and hatred.
Holy Spirit, plant in me the seeds of creative newness
To grow the beloved community in the here and now.
—Br. Matt Wooters, SJ
Please share the Good Word with your friends!
