Jesus' words in today's gospel passage may strike us a very strange. His mother and his brothers (those who were part of his extended family) came to him, but were unable to join him because of the crowd. Eventually, word got to him: Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and wish to see you, but he replied: My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it (Lk 8:19-21).
We might have expected that if Jesus' mother came looking for him, he would have stopped what he was doing, that he might have been more attentive to her. We might even expect that his apparent refusal to interrupt whatever it was that he was doing might have been seen as an insult, but we should never forget that Mary was the first to hear the Word proclaimed to her, when she encountered the angel and learned about God's plan. From that day forward, she pondered these things deeply in her heart. Whereas her human heart would have been disquieted by Jesus' words, she would also have recognized the truth they contained: My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it (Lk 8:21).
Mary was the first and the most perfect of the disciples. Even now, she stands ready to help us. When our hearts are troubled, when we think that we are being wronged, perhaps we can ask her to remind us of the importance of hearing the word of God and acting on it. This is the task of every disciple.
Have a great day.
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