Come to do your will

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary lead us to ponder on the nature of those who are close in communion with the Divine. The letter to the Hebrews uses a rabbinic argument, according to FriarJude Winkler, to present the idea that there is something more effective than the continual sacrifice of the blood of animals by the high priest for the restoration of life in souls which have been brought closer to death and separation from God by sin, The continual repetition of these actions is a reminder of our tendency to continually abandon the path which God presents for our life and to assume the role of God and choose to act according to our own will. The message of Hebrews is that breaking free from the cycle of sin is accomplished, as the psalmist also exhorts, is to live according to the Will of God. It is this Will which Jesus accepts to be the once for all blood sacrifice that is the “something more” expected by rabbinical tradition. The Gospel of Mark today follows the passage wherein Jesus action to cast out demons has caused the crowd to question whether He has gone out of His mind. The crowd wonders at His question about who are his mother and brothers as they apparently arrive to assist Him. That intimacy of the family of Jesus is the experience of those who choose to follow the Will of God.