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Gospel Reading for September 22, 2026 – Luke 8: 19-21
ALL THE TIME
The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.” He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
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There are those who interpret this Gospel to mean that, for Jesus, Mary and his relatives were not important to him. But why would someone who preached about love ALL THE TIME fail to give importance to the woman who bore him in her womb, nursed him, raised him according to Jewish tradition, and, most of all, whose “yes” was so important for the Father’s plan of salvation to come to fruition?
It was precisely for this reason that Jesus pointed out the quality that made Mary truly blessed: she heard the Word of God and acted on it. Even while dying on the Cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to John, symbolically giving her to all of us as our Mother.
Although it is not mentioned in the Bible, Jesus would naturally have gone outside to see Mary and his relatives. After he began his public ministry at the age of thirty, he no longer lived with Mary. Let us not forget that Jesus was born into a family, and being Jesus, his family surely mattered very much to him.
Lord Jesus, help us always to listen to your Word and to act upon it. Amen.
