Episode Details

Jesus' mother and brothers wanted to speak with Him that day. They were having difficulties in reaching Him because of the crowd. So, someone informed Him about this. But Jesus asked rhetorically about who was His mother and His brothers. He replied to His own questions but gesturing to His disciples and He identified them as His mother and His brothers because they had given up other options and pursued the will of His heavenly Father. It was also a subtle way of praising His Mother because she also said yes to God's Will by agreeing to His mother. Mary exercised her freedom by choosing God's will over other possible ways of spending her life on earth. The memorial today of her presentation to God in the temple is apropos to this gospel. Her presentation meant precisely that, that she was given up to the fulfillment of His Will. This sounds dramatic but this is the ordinary life of Jesus' followers. Each of us is awaited by the Lord to give ourselves up to do His Will.