Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,In today's New Testament, Jesus speaks seemingly confounding words:
While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my mother, and 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 Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:46-50).
How can Jesus' mother, not be his mother? She gave birth to him, she fed him, she raised him. How is anyone but Mary, the mother of Jesus?
How can your mother not by your mother? She gave birth to you, she fed and nourished you, she raised you. How is anyone but your mother, your mother?
Because, you see, it is in the Church that you received the new birth by water and the Spirit (John 3:5). It is in the Church that you are fed and nourished with the Bread of Life (John 6). It is in the Church that you are raised to know your Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:11; Matthew 28:19-20).
Just as you have an earthly father and a heavenly Father, you have an earthly mother, but you also have a mother given to you from above, and this mother is the Church. For it is through her that the children of God are fed with His gifts.
A mother's boy for life. May we all be fed and nourished by our mother, the Church. Amen.
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