Focus on your relationship with Jesus and let it spill over to your relationships with others

2 Sam. 1:1-4.11-12.19.23-27, Mk 3:20-21. In today's first reading, David laments the death of king Saul and Jonathan his son, who were both killed at the battle of Mount Gilboa against the Philistines. David had been very close to Jonathan and Saul, such that he was like a brother to Jonathan. When David heard about the battle in which Saul and Jonathan were killed, he grieves for them, as seen in his action of tearing his garments. David calls upon all the people of Israel, especially those in his company, to join him in mourning the death of the king and his son, even though their deaths will lead to David being accepted as king. Just as the family and friends of David were concerned about him, the family of Jesus felt great concern about him when he preached the Goodnews. Today's Gospel describes Jesus coming “home” after a period of ministry. The crowds of people are still seeking Him, while His relatives thought that Jesus has gone insane in the way He ministered to the people.

Our Lord was so caught up in the needs and sorrows of His fellow human beings, that He has no time even to eat. His family thought He was no longer responsible for Himself and planned to “take Him in charge.” Jesus was so overcome by the sight of human misery and need that He expends Himself totally to bring us help. At the base of our Lord’s existence was enormous love and overwhelming compassion. It is clear that the relatives of Jesus do not understand Him. When the workload prevents Him from eating properly, His relatives set out to take charge of Him, convinced He was out of His mind. They would go on to learn on that occasion that Jesus was not open to being taken charge of by His relatives, because the only one who should be in charge of Jesus was God. Jesus was doing God’s work and part of that work was to form a new family, a family of disciples, of brothers and sisters of Jesus, sons and daughters of God. The natural family and relatives of Jesus would have to come to terms with the fact that the divine family extends to all. We are all part of that new family; we are all the fruit of Jesus’ work, a work that people struggled hard to understand at the time. For us who are part of this new family, the question, “Who then is this?” remains a relevant question. We are always struggling to know more fully the Son of God whose brothers and sisters we have become.

May the Lord grant us the discernment, right judgment, fortitude and patience so that we can fulfill the mission on which God sends us! Amen!! Keep safe and happy weekend!!!