Homily for Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time

For most of us, our family is essential in our lives. As we age, we might not see our family members as often as we once did, but they still matter significantly to us. They say, “Blood is thicker than water.” When a family member struggles, we will gather around them to support them.

The Gospels don’t tell us much about Jesus’ family. Yet, when they mention His family, they give the impression that there was often tension between Jesus and His blood family.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ family, including His mother, stood outside where Jesus spoke, anxious to talk with Him. They were trying to get His attention, perhaps even get Him home, away from the crowds always pursuing Him.

However, Jesus stood His ground; he didn’t go with His family. Instead, He redefined who his family was. He identified His disciples as His family, and He declared that all those who do the will of His heavenly Father are His family.

As disciples of Jesus, we are all brothers and sisters of the LORD and each other, as well as sons and daughters of God. This is the new family that Jesus came to form, and what distinguishes this family is the desire to do the will of God, as Jesus has revealed that to us by His words and His life. That is why, as members of the Lord’s family, we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”