“Doing God’s Will, and seeking to belong to His family!”

(Based on Heb 10:1-10 and Mk 3:31-35 – Tuesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1)

Miss Clara, a fourth-grade Cathecism teacher told her kids one day:
“Children, let me tell you today about a quiet man – who used to be immersed into much reading and writing.

This man was big and gentle, but because he stayed silent, people thought he wasn’t very smart.

One day, his friends played a trick on him.
As he was busy writing, pointed to the window and shouted, ‘Look, there’s an angel!’

He ran to see, but there was nothing there. Everyone laughed.”

“But do you know how he responded?”
Miss Clara continued, “He said, ‘I’d rather believe there was an angel than think my friends would lie.’

He didn’t fight back nor get angry. He didn’t care if people laughed at him or thought he was slow.
He only cared about doing what God wanted him to do.”

People often teased him, calling him as ‘The Dumb Ox,’…
… but his mentor had so much confidence in him that he said, ‘This ox will one day roar so loud, that the whole world will hear him.’

And that’s exactly what happened!”

Her voice softened as she continued, “That quiet man was St. Thomas Aquinas.

He is today one of the greatest saints in the Church.
And he became great because he always, with prayer and trust, chose to do God’s Will.”

Yes….
Life is not about what others think of you
… it’s about you being faithful to God.

When you do God’s Will, you belong to His family….
… and that’s true greatness!

This is what our Blessed Lord reminds us in the Gospel of the Day.

Jesus is in the thick of His ministry.

The place is packed with people sitting on the floor, in the passage-way, around the doors and near the windows…
… craving to listen to what Jesus is speaking.

It’s at that time that His family members arrive.

His family can’t get through to him, so they send a message in, and it passes from one person to person: “Tell him that his mother and brothers are outside looking for him” (Mk 3:32)

The message finally reaches Jesus.

This was a significant time and moment.

But as we see in the Gospel, very often, our Blessed Lord loves to make use of critical moments to put across a message!

Jesus uses the arrival of His physical family as an opportunity…
… to teach about His relationship with His spiritual family.

Jesus brings the focus back on what is most essential.

What was most needed was not human relationships…
… But what was most necessary was spiritual relations!

He declares: ‘Whoever does the Will of God is my brother and sister and mother’ (Mk 3:35).

[This statement of Jesus is also a beautiful Biblical proof of the importance that is to be accorded to Mother Mary!

The Lord was publicly declaring that, “Mary is great not only because She gave birth to Me…
… But also because in doing God’s Will at all times, She is truly the Mother of all, in the family of God!

And as the Mother of our spiritual family, Mamma Mary certainly deserves greater attention, devotion and love, isn’t it?]

Jesus thus brings to focus…
… the importance to seek and do God’s Will
… the importance to become related in the Kingdom – the Family of God

What is our attitude and mentality…

Am I engaging solely in earthly concerns or do I also put in my efforts for spiritual growth?
Am I obsessed with worldly gains or am I zealous for spiritual graces and blessings?

Very often…
… we lose our focus

Christian life sometimes gets diluted with too many “social” concerns…
… at the expense of spiritual realities.

Christian life sometimes gets polluted with too many “interdisciplinary” matters…
… at the expense of true faith and teachings.

Christian life sometimes gets ruined with too many “compromising” practices…
… at the expense of Gospel values and standards.

Let us avoid all such temptations that cause us to toss our minds…
… by “seeking and doing God’s Will” at all times, and thus being members of the Family of God!

Today as we celebrate the Feast of St Thomas Aquinas – the great Doctor and Theologian…
… let us learn to humble ourselves before the Almighty Power of God

Towards the end of his life – this great learned person who had written much on the Lord…
… during prayer, Christ is said to have told him, “You have written well of me, Thomas. What reward would you have for your labour?”

Thomas replied, “Nothing but you, Lord.”

Let us be inspired by this Great Saint…
… who humbled himself before the Will of God
… as we learn from him, “The Mystery and the Will of God is not to be solved or understood, but to be adored and loved!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
MAN’S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – GOD’S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE – The Ten Commandments – The First Commandment

Nevertheless, already in the Old Testament, God ordained or permitted the making of images…
… that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate Word

So it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim. (CCC # 2130)