The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to ponder the recognition of our relationship with the Divine through which we are gathered into communities of love.
In the reading from the Second Book of Samuel, the Ark is brought to Jerusalem.
* [6:14] Girt with a linen ephod: the ephod was some sort of priestly vestment (probably like an apron); cf. Ex 28:4; Jgs 17:5; 1 Sm 2:18, 28; 14:3; 22:18; 23:6. The cultic procession that accompanies the ark to the holy mountain, Zion, is led by King David, dancing ecstatically and wearing a priestly vestment. (2 Samuel, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 24 is praise for entrance into the Temple.
* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10). (Psalms, PSALM 24 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, the True Kindred of Jesus are declared.
* [3:20–35] Within the narrative of the coming of Jesus’ relatives (Mk 3:20–21) is inserted the account of the unbelieving scribes from Jerusalem who attributed Jesus’ power over demons to Beelzebul (Mk 3:22–30); see note on Mk 5:21–43. There were those even among the relatives of Jesus who disbelieved and regarded Jesus as out of his mind (Mk 3:21). Against this background, Jesus is informed of the arrival of his mother and brothers [and sisters] (Mk 3:32). He responds by showing that not family ties but doing God’s will (Mk 3:35) is decisive in the kingdom; cf. note on Mt 12:46–50. (Mark, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Tamora Whitney comments that in the first reading we find out how important it is to do the will of God, and in the gospel we realize that is our connection.
He said, my family is here. "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." I don’t think he is deprecating his own biological family, but is instead expanding it. Instead of limiting family to those who share a blood relative, we are all God’s family. (Whitney, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “The cross of Christ as victory,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.
"[Mary] did the Father's will. It was this in her that the Lord magnified, not merely that her flesh gave birth to flesh... When he said, 'Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it' (Luke 11:28), he was in effect saying: 'My mother whom you have called blessed is blessed for the reason that she keeps the Word of God, not that the Word was made flesh in her and dwelt among us (John 1:14), but that she keeps the very Word of God through which she was made and which was made flesh in her." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON JOHN 10.3.2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 3:31-35 comments that to be a brother or sister of Jesus is both a fact about who we already are and a calling toward who we will become as we “take on the family resemblance” more and more.
How can you do God’s will today? By doing the simple tasks that God gives you each day. By calling to mind Jesus’ presence with you as you work. By asking him for the grace to perform those deeds with a loving, cheerful heart, and offering them to the Lord. These shifts in attitude can change your experience, turning drudgery into joyful service. Whether they feel pleasant or trying, these decisions to do God’s will in company with Jesus will bring you even more deeply into your Father’s loving embrace.
“Here I am, Lord. I come to do your will.” (Meditation on Mark 3:31-35, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler recalls the passage of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem during which a man died after coming in contact with the Ark. The Hebrew Testament presents some of the kings of Israel as taking on the role of priest. Friar Jude notes three different traditional understandings of Jesus’ brothers and sisters by Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens who writes of the “New Saint” as an individual who is faithful to the path of spiritual and social liberation in our own time.
Saints are people from various spiritual and religious traditions who have deeply embodied love and compassion and whose embodiment has inspired countless others to aspire to that same practice. However, for most of us, sainthood seems a lofty and vague endeavor that is more divine and religious than practical. This current era is calling for saints—New Saints—who are from this time and place, who speak the language of this time and place, and, most importantly, who embrace the integration of both social and ultimate liberation. New Saints can surrender into the Divine or spiritual while disrupting systems of violence. I believe that we all can and must become New Saints for ourselves and our communities. (Rohr, 2024)
We are the brothers and sisters of Jesus and our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader is the foundation of our mission to bring the Good News to the people in our environment.
References
Mark, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3?
Meditation on Mark 3:31-35. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/23/880836/
Psalms, PSALM 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24?7
Rohr, R. (2024, January 23). Becoming a New Saint — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/becoming-a-new-saint/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Whoever Does the Will of God Is My Brother and Sister. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan23
2 Samuel, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/6?12
Whitney, T. (2024, January 23). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/012324.html
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