Sacred Siblings

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine how our understanding of who we accept as a sibling aligns with Jesus' love and inclusion.

All Our Siblings?

The reading from the Book of Proverbs uses the image of chasing a bubble over deadly snares to describe some of the ways we exert influence.

* [21:1] “Channeled water” in Is 32:2 and Prv 5:16 is water that fertilizes arid land. It takes great skill to direct water, whether it be water to fertilize fields or cosmic floods harnessed at creation, for water is powerful and seems to have a mind of its own. It also requires great skill to direct the heart of a king, for it is inscrutable and beyond ordinary human control.

* [21:3] External rites or sacrifices do not please God unless accompanied by internal worship and right moral conduct; cf. 15:8; 21:27; Is 1:11–15; Am 5:22; Mal 1:12.

* [21:4] Heart and eyes depict, respectively, the inner and the outer person. “Haughty eyes” peering out from a “proud heart” show a thoroughly arrogant person. How can such a person flourish! Their lamp, which signifies life, will go out.

* [21:5] The antitheses are diligent and impetuous. The metaphor characterizing each type is taken from the world of commerce. Planning is important; bustle leads to waste.

* [21:12] It is difficult to ascertain the subject of the saying. Some hold it is the Lord, the “Righteous One,” who is normally the executor of justice in Proverbs. Others believe it is the just person who is the agent of divine justice. “Righteous One” is a title for God in Is 24:16. The best argument for making God the subject of the verb is that elsewhere in Proverbs righteous human beings never do anything to the wicked; only God does. (Proverbs, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 119 praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by.

 

* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke presents the essence of Jesus and His Family.

* [8:19] His brothers: see note on Mk 6:3.

* [8:21] The family of Jesus is not constituted by physical relationship with him but by obedience to the word of God. In this, Luke agrees with the Marcan parallel (Mk 3:31–35), although by omitting Mk 3:33 and especially Mk 3:20–21 Luke has softened the Marcan picture of Jesus’ natural family. Probably he did this because Mary has already been presented in Lk 1:38 as the obedient handmaid of the Lord who fulfills the requirement for belonging to the eschatological family of Jesus; cf. also Lk 11:27–28. (Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. John Shea, SJ, comments that Jesus is expanding our notion of who belongs in the family of God: “those who hear the word of God and act upon it.”

This challenges all of us. Suddenly, family isn’t just my immediate family or even my extended family. It includes all believers. Even if we don’t enjoy a healthy relationship with our biological family, we know how we ought to behave towards a family member. Parents ought to provide unconditional love to their children. Siblings ought to love and support each other. I’m sure you, like me, fall short of this ideal with your families. So, we shouldn’t be surprised when we fail to extend the same love and compassion to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. If we fail to love our children (the unborn and the born, including victims of child trafficking and those held in detention centers) then how can we love the poor, the immigrant and the refugee? By expanding our concept of family, Jesus makes it far more difficult to place family first. (Shea, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Those who listen and obey God's word become true children of God,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"The present lesson teaches us that obedience and listening to God are the causes of every blessing. Some entered and spoke respectfully about Christ's holy mother and his brothers. He answered in these words, 'My mother and my brothers are they who hear the word of God and do it.' Now do not let any one imagine that Christ scorned the honor due to his mother or contemptuously disregarded the love owed to his brothers. He spoke the law by Moses and clearly said, 'Honor your father and your mother, that it may be well with you' (Deuteronomy 5:16). How, I ask, could he have rejected the love due to brothers, who even commanded us to love not merely our brothers but also those who are enemies to us? He says, 'Love your enemies' (Matthew 5:44).

"What does Christ want to teach? His object is to exalt highly his love toward those who are willing to bow the neck to his commands. I will explain the way he does this. The greatest honors and the most complete affection are what we all owe to our mothers and brothers. If he says that they who hear his word and do it are his mother and brothers, is it not plain to every one that he bestows on those who follow him a love thorough and worthy of their acceptance? He would make them readily embrace the desire of yielding themselves to his words and of submitting their mind to his yoke, by means of a complete obedience." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 42) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the passage from Proverbs is a collection of wisdom sayings that are how to live a good life by being humble, seeking the Lord and giving to the poor. In later chapters of Proverbs the lesson is more spiritual but here there are simply lessons for leaders. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus identifies His Mother and brothers. In Jesus' community people related as cousins were treated as brothers. (Roman Catholic tradition). If Mary had remarried, Jesus could be referring to half brothers (Orthodox tradition). Some Protestant communities accept Mary had additional children. (full brothers and sisters) The ancient tradition supports one child of Mary. Other Gospel accounts are less ambiguous. Friar Jude comments that Mary surrendered to the Word and she fills the role of Mother of Jesus spiritually. 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Meditation on Luke 8:19-21 comments that Jesus honored his family and cared for his mother, even from the cross (John 19:25-26). But he also knew that he had come to create a new, wider family built on obedience to his word and the power of the Holy Spirit.

You are part of that family! You entered it through faith in Jesus’ word and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Baptism. You are now a son or daughter of God! You honor and deepen that relationship as you continue to hear and act on Jesus’ words, especially as you love your brothers and sisters. In fact, your bond with Jesus and the people who belong to him can become as strong as the closest family bond—and it will last through eternity. What a privilege it is to belong to the Lord and one another as members of his spiritual family!

“Thank you, Lord, for bringing me into your family!” (Meditation on Luke 8:19-21, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Palestinian Quaker Jean Zaru who bears witness to her commitment to nonviolent resistance. She writes of the ongoing commitment necessary to live out nonviolent struggle for justice.

I believe that we are called to conversion: to be converted to the struggle of women and men everywhere who have no way to escape the unending fatigue of their labor and the daily denial of their human rights and human worth. We must be converted, so to speak, to a new vision of human dignity, what we call “that of God” in each person, even in those we oppose….  

Ultimately, I have learned that the nonviolent struggle for justice is one struggle, and that action to subvert violence and strengthen human rights in one place is an action on behalf of all people everywhere.

I have managed to find peace within—without having to embrace with approval the violence around me. Love of one’s enemies forces me to recognize that my enemy, too, is a child of God. This realization is necessary if our enemies are ever to make the changes we are requiring of them. It is really only in the light of love that I am liberated to work for peace and freedom.

We need to invoke the Spirit to fill our hearts and minds and enkindle the fire of love that recognizes our siblings are all people, as we all are children of God.

References

Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8? 

Meditation on Luke 8:19-21. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/22/1674423/ 

Proverbs, CHAPTER 21 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/21?1 

Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved June 22, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Loyalty to Christ’s Peace. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/loyalty-to-christs-peace/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Hear the Word of God and Do It. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Shea, J. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-22-2026 

United in the Spirit

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to seek collaboration and communion with faithful people to activate our Diversity of Gifts in service of God.

“So Great a Cloud of Witnesses”

The Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians exhorts Unity in the Body exercising our Diversity of Gifts.

* [4:1–16] A general plea for unity in the church. Christians have been fashioned through the Spirit into a single harmonious religious community (one body, Eph 4:4, 12; cf. Eph 4:16), belonging to a single Lord (in contrast to the many gods of the pagan world), and by one way of salvation through faith, brought out especially by the significance of baptism (Eph 4:1–6; cf. Rom 6:1–11). But Christian unity is more than adherence to a common belief. It is manifested in the exalted Christ’s gifts to individuals to serve so as to make the community more Christlike (Eph 4:11–16). This teaching on Christ as the source of the gifts is introduced in Eph 4:8 by a citation of Ps 68:18, which depicts Yahweh triumphantly leading Israel to salvation in Jerusalem. It is here understood of Christ, ascending above all the heavens, the head of the church; through his redemptive death, resurrection, and ascension he has become the source of the church’s spiritual gifts. The “descent” of Christ (Eph 4:9–10) refers more probably to the incarnation (cf. Phil 2:6–8) than to Christ’s presence after his death in the world of the dead (cf. 1 Pt 3:19).

* [4:4–6] The “seven unities” (church, Spirit, hope; Lord, faith in Christ [Eph 1:13], baptism; one God) reflect the triune structure of later creeds in reverse.

* [4:8–10] While the emphasis is on an ascension and gift-giving by Christ, there is also a reference in taking prisoners captive to the aeons and powers mentioned at Eph 1:21; 2:2; 3:10; 6:12.

* [4:11] Concerning this list of ministers, cf. 1 Cor 12:28 and Rom 12:6–8. Evangelists: missionary preachers (cf. Acts 21:8; 2 Tm 4:5), not those who wrote gospels. Pastors and teachers: a single group in the Greek, shepherding congregations.

* [4:12] The ministerial leaders in Eph 4:11 are to equip the whole people of God for their work of ministry.

* [4:13] Mature manhood: literally, “a perfect man” (cf. Col 1:28), possibly the “one new person” of Eph 2:15, though there anthrōpos suggests humanity, while here anēr is the term for male. This personage becomes visible in the church’s growing to its fullness in the unity of those who believe in Christ. (Ephesians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 19 bespeaks the power and wisdom of the Creator.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.

* [19:4] No speech, no words: the regular functioning of the heavens and the alternation of day and night inform human beings without words of the creator’s power and wisdom.

* [19:5] The sun: in other religious literature the sun is a judge and lawgiver since it sees all in its daily course; Ps 19:5b–7 form a transition to the law in Ps 19:8–11. The six synonyms for God’s revelation (Ps 19:8–11) are applied to the sun in comparable literature. (Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Matthew presents the Call of Matthew by Jesus.

* [9:9] A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mk 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Mt 10:3 as “the tax collector.” The evangelist may have changed the “Levi” of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the first four disciples (Mt 4:18–22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing.

* [9:10] His house: it is not clear whether his refers to Jesus or Matthew. Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46. Table association with such persons would cause ritual impurity.

* [9:11] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19.

* [9:12] See note on Mk 2:17.

* [9:13] Go and learn…not sacrifice: Matthew adds the prophetic statement of Hos 6:6 to the Marcan account (see also Mt 12:7). If mercy is superior to the temple sacrifices, how much more to the laws of ritual impurity. (Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)

Rev. George Meze, SJ, comments that Matthew would have also discovered the limitation of money: it could provide comfort and security, but it could not satisfy the deeper longing of the human heart.

Saint Augustine beautifully reminds us that, “our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians, likewise considers everything else as, “rubbish compared with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.” These words remind us that our deepest longings and thirst cannot be fully satisfied by anything the world can offer. Ultimately, our hearts can find true peace, fulfillment, and rest only in Jesus.

As Jesus draws Matthew to Himself through grace, Matthew leaves behind everything he once placed his trust in and chooses to follow Christ. He steps away from the security of what he knows and into a new world of faith—a journey into, “the delightful unknown with hope.” (Meze, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Matthew did not delay when called by Jesus,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"The Lord, about to give salvation to all sinners believing in him, willingly chose Matthew the former publican. The gift of his esteem for Matthew stands as an example for our salvation. Every sinner must be chosen by God and can receive the grace of eternal salvation if one is not without a religious mind and a devout heart. So Matthew was chosen willingly by God. And though he is immersed in worldly affairs, because of his sincere religious devotion he is judged worthy to be called forth by the Lord ("Follow me"), who by virtue of his divine nature knows the hidden recesses of the heart. From what follows, we know that Matthew was accepted by the Lord not by reason of his status but of his faith and devotion. As soon as the Lord says to him, "Follow me," he does not linger or delay, but thereupon "he arose and followed him." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 45.1)

[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."] (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that the text from the Letter to the Ephesians speaks of the bond of unity in the community. Scholars are not sure Paul is the author of the letter which may have been written in his name and style. Paul is a prisoner for the Lord facing execution. When facing death, people often call in the family and make sure they are getting along. The Christian community has people with different charisms and gifts with which to serve the Lord. We celebrate the call of Matthew. As a tax collector, Matthew was part of an unusual method of tax collection that had no incentive to honesty. Tax collectors were thought of as collaborators with Rome and outcasts. Jesus eats a meal with tax collectors and Jesus wants to end their exile from the community. Friar Jude reminds us that Pharisees had concern of contagion from association with sinners. Jesus' response is that it is not the healthy who need a physician. We need to reach out to those who have messed up by welcoming them and seeking to heal their brokenness.

The Word Among Us Meditation on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 comments that especially in his Gospel, Matthew highlighted how Jesus fulfilled God’s promises to Israel—especially his promise to make the Jewish people “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14; Isaiah 49:6).

But he also made it clear that Jesus belongs to “all nations” equally, not just to the Jews (Matthew 28:19). He is the one who recounted Jesus’ Beatitudes, which bless those who seek not to divide but to bring people together: “the poor in spirit,” “the merciful,” and “the peacemakers” (5:3, 7, 9). And he is the one who preserved Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant as an illustration of his desire that we not foster division but be willing to forgive “not seven times but seventy-seven times” (18:22).

All these pleas for unity continue to resound today, especially in a world marked by such deep divisions. Like Matthew, may we all come to cherish the “one Body and one Spirit” that belongs to us all (Ephesians 4:4)!

“Lord, heal all divisions in your Church and in the world!” (Meditation on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13, n.d.)

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces priest and theologian Emmanuel Katongole who considers how nonviolence reflects God’s love, modeled and experienced in the life of Jesus.

The excess of love is what shapes a revolution—a revolution of nonviolent love—into which God invites Christians. For, as Pope Francis reminds us, “The Son of God, by becoming flesh, summoned us to the revolution of tenderness.” [2]…

This revolution of nonviolent love is not a utopian fantasy. There are many stories of Christians whose lives bear witness to this revolution of tenderness and from whom we can learn the requirements of the way of nonviolence….

[Archbishop] Christopher Munzihirwa was pointing to this revolution when, shortly before he was assassinated, he reminded the people of Bukavu that every Christian is invited to enter “the way of Christ.” For Munzihirwa, entering the way of Christ was not simply a pious exhortation; it was an invitation into a social vision and engagement that leads to “the construction of true and durable peace.” [3]…

Surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, perhaps we too can dare to not only say no to violence, but to respond to violence through an excess of love. When we do so, we find ourselves as part of the revolution of tenderness. (Rohr, n.d.)

Richard Floyd Pastor Emeritus of First Church of Christ in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, offers “So Great a Cloud of Witnesses” A Sermon on Hebrews 12: 1-2.

This is such an important way to think about the church. We have been learning to think of the church ecumenically; to consider the breadth of the church across denominational lines and national boundaries. 

But how quickly we forget the length of the church, its trans–temporal reality across the generations. That is where the role of tradition comes to play in the church, the place where the communion of saints gets their say. As C.K. Chesterton put it, “Tradition is only democracy extended through time.” 

And that’s important because a church that forgets what the saints have learned from generation to generation will hardly be equipped to be the church in its own generation. So, the church rightly remembers the communion of saints, and even more than that, claims that in Christ, we share with them in the divine life.

Let me change the metaphor, that we might imagine the communion of saints as a choir; a large choir, like one of those Welsh men’s choirs made up of a thousand voices. (Floyd, n.d.)

We are invited by the Spirit to contemplate the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” with whom we share our mission to bring healing to the “brokenness” of the environment in which we are called to serve.

References

Ephesians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ephesians/4? 

Floyd, R. L. (n.d.). “So Great a Cloud of Witnesses” A Sermon on Hebrews 12: 1-2. Richard Floyd. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://richardlfloyd.com/2024/11/03/so-great-a-cloud-of-witnesses-a-sermon-on-hebrews-12-1-2/ 

Matthew, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9?9 

Meditation on Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/09/21/1673812/ 

Meze, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection September 21, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-21-2026 

Psalms, PSALM 19 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings, Audio and Video Every Morning | USCCB. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19?2 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Nonviolence: An Excess of Love. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/nonviolence-an-excess-of-love/  

Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Desire Mercy - Not Sacrifice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2026&date=sep21a