“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” Matthew 12:48-50
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This passage offers a wonderful opportunity to speak about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Some who read this passage fall into the trap of thinking that Jesus was in some way distancing Himself from His mother. It’s as if they conclude that His statement ignores her special role in His life. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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The truth is that His statement reaffirms her motherhood more than anything. Why? Because He is speaking about how one becomes a true member of His family. And that happens when one “does the will of my heavenly Father.”
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Think about that line. Who better fulfilled the will of the Heavenly Father? Who was more obedient in all things than the Blessed Virgin? No one was. She acted in perfect obedience throughout her life and, therefore, she perfectly fulfills the requirement of being Jesus’ family.
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One thing we should take from this passage is that our Blessed Mother’s relationship with Jesus was lived on two levels. First, there was the physical motherhood she was blessed with. This was an incredible grace and one for which she deserves great honor. But her physical motherhood was not the primary reason for her blessedness. The primary reason was a result of her spiritual motherhood. And this spiritual motherhood is seen in this passage above. It is the result of her perfect “Yes” to God in all things. This is the primary reason she is to be honored and called “blessed” for all ages.
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Reflect, today, upon the role that our Blessed Mother holds in your life. God wants you to honor her, to imitate her and to make her part of your family. He wants you to receive her as your spiritual mother insofar as you are a member of Jesus’ family. If you strive for obedience to the will of the Father in your life, you will also share in the blessings of His life. One of those great blessings is to share His mother.
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Glorious Son of God and Son of Man, I do desire to be obedient to You and Your will in all things. I desire to embrace the Father’s perfect plan for my life. In that will, help me to share in Your divine life and become a full member of Your family. In that family, help me to take Your mother as my own. Dear Mother, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.
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