Today's Thoughts...

Today’s Thoughts: Today we have a very brief, two-line Gospel. One in which we hear a woman call to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.”  But Jesus’ responds, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
 
I think in our Gospel today Jesus is suggesting that we change our focus. That we look at life through a different lens. He is not discounting his own mother and their close relationship, for Jesus family is more than biology, more than DNA, family is hearing the Word of God and living it. Jesus is telling us that our own relationship with God can be blessed if we use God’s word as a lens through which we look at and then live life.
 
In today’s Gospel we are invited to be family with others beyond our immediate family relationships. We are to include others because we have been included by Jesus.
 
As we have encounters over the last five plus years with Pope Francis, he is a person who has heard the word of God and who lives it. He finds Jesus in the faces and lives of the poor and struggling in our world.  And by his words and actions Pope Francis asks us to open our hearts to the hungry, the poor and the marginalized. He asks us to open our hearts to those struggling in the world because they are family.
 
We are called be the Word of God to reach out to others who are in need as a way to really be united to Jesus and his mission.  What does Jesus want from us? Jesus wants a family. Jesus wants a friendship.  Jesus isn’t looking for us to read more about him or discuss the theology of his ministry.  Jesus longs for a close and personal friendship with us as we speak to him about our lives and lean on him for support in times of need. Blessed by his love, we hear the call to keep his word by loving as he has loved us, by being family to all.
 
Jesus invites us today to reach out to those who need us. Pope Francis calls us repeatedly to be a society, a church, a family of inclusion, dialog and service for all.
 
Have a great Saturday everyone!