Who Is the Family of Christ?

[GuardianAngelStore]

Who Is the Family of Christ?

While he [Jesus] was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. [Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you."] But he said in reply to the one who told him, "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 12:46-50)

We are called, not just to community, but to family. We consider the bond of family to be stronger than friends or acquaintances because it is the bond of blood. Still, we must realize, we are all of the same blood for we all came from the generations which spawned from the garden of His creation. It is for this reason that Jesus calls us to family, for we all have the same Creator.

How is it, then, that we have so many prejudices, divisions and conflicts within the world? The answer is within who sows enmity and who sows love. Jesus was sent to the world as the Shepherd to gather in all of the lost sheep. He calls all to follow the commandments to love; to love God with all our heart, all our mind and all our soul as well as to love one another as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). He calls for us to look out for one another with charity and compassion.

To do the will of the Father, we must look for how we approach each day with the desire to fulfill His commandments of love. We must ask ourselves, what are our opportunities to respond to His call to offer charity and compassion to those who suffer, to those who are less fortunate and to those who are in spiritual need? If this is our desire, if we respond to His call, we will be blessed to be counted among His brothers and sisters.

Blessed are those who respond to His call to charity and compassion, for they will spread blessings all about them.