First Reading (Hebrews 10:1-10).
Reading the Letter to the Hebrews.
Brothers, the Law only has the outline of future goods and not the real model of things. Also, with her sacrifices always the same and without giving up, repeated every year, she is totally incapable of bringing to perfection those who approach to offer them. If it weren’t so, wouldn’t they have stopped offering them, if those who worship, once purified, no longer had any conscience of sins? But, on the contrary, it is through these sacrifices that the memory of sins is renewed annually, as it is impossible to eliminate sins with the blood of bulls and goats. Therefore, upon entering the world, Christ states: “You did not want sacrifice or offering, but you formed a body for me. Burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin were not to your liking. Therefore I said: Behold, I come. In the book it is written about me: I came, O God, to do your will.” After saying, “You did not desire nor were you pleased with victims, offerings, burnt offerings, sacrifices for sin” – things offered according to the Law – he adds: “I have come to do your will.” With this, he suppresses the first sacrifice, to establish the second. It is thanks to this will that we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, made once and for all.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Mark 3,31-35).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus’ mother and his brothers arrived. They stood outside and sent for him. There was a crowd sitting around him. Then they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” He replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And looking at those who were sitting around him, he said: “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister and my mother.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with great joy that we gather today to reflect on the sacred words of our Lord, which lead us toward true freedom and salvation. Today’s readings, from both the Letter to the Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark, offer us a unique opportunity to reflect on Christ’s sacrifice and the true spiritual family He calls us to form.
Let’s start with a little imagination exercise. Think for a moment about the ancient practice of sacrifices. In the temple of Jerusalem, the people of God gathered, bringing animal sacrifices, such as lambs, doves and others, to ask forgiveness for their sins. These sacrifices, repeated year after year, never seemed to reach perfection. They were a shadow of what was to come, a preparation for the ultimate sacrifice. But imagine yourself back then, bringing an animal to the altar and feeling the weight of guilt being transferred to that offering. Can you imagine the momentary relief, but also the realization that next year you would have to do it all over again?
This is the reality that the Letter to the Hebrews describes for us in today’s first reading. The author tells us about the sacrifices of the Law, which, despite being made with good intentions, never managed to truly purify the hearts of men. Sacrifices were not able to take away sin once and for all. “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” says the passage. But when Christ came, He brought us something completely new. He did not come to offer repeated sacrifices, but to offer the ultimate sacrifice – His own life, for the redemption of us all.
This is where the depth of the message reveals itself. Instead of a temporary sacrifice, Christ did what no one else could do. He gave Himself completely to God, offering His own body as the true and only offering for the salvation of all humanity. As it is written: “Behold, I come, O God, to do your will”, expressing Christ’s total surrender to the mission that the Father entrusted to him.
Christ did not come to fulfill a simple ritualistic rule. He came to establish a new covenant, based not on repetitive rituals, but on a deep and personal relationship with God. Christ’s sacrifice was perfect, unique and definitive. Therefore, there is no longer any need to offer animal sacrifices or to try to purify ourselves with our own strength. Salvation has been accomplished, and Christ, with His sacrifice on the cross, has opened a direct path for us to the Father.
Now, as we turn to Mark’s Gospel, we see that Christ’s message of salvation is not limited to an isolated sacrifice, but calls us to a new way of life, to a new way of relating to God and others. . In Mark 3, we see a significant scene: while Jesus was teaching and healing, His mother and brothers arrived and tried to get His attention. When someone told Him that His mother and His brothers were outside, He surprisingly responded, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And, pointing to those around Him, He said: “Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will of God, that is my brother, my sister and my mother.”
These words of Jesus may be shocking to us, for He is not rejecting His mother or His relatives, but inviting us to understand something deeper about what it means to be part of His true family. Jesus teaches us that the true family of God is not defined by blood ties, but by the willingness to do the Father’s will. He redefines the concept of family, calling all who follow His teachings to join His “spiritual family “. It doesn’t matter where we come from, or who we are; What matters is our willingness to follow God’s will.
This message has immense depth, especially for us, who live in a society where blood ties are often placed above all else. Jesus invites us to an even deeper intimacy: not just being members of His family by birth, but by a conscious decision to follow His teachings and live according to God’s will. The true family of Christ is made up of those who, from their hearts, seek to do God’s will, day after day.
This is a great lesson for all of us, as we often prioritize other things in our lives – work, relationships, material possessions – and forget that our true identity comes from our relationship with God. The family of Christ is made up of those who, like Him, seek to do the Father’s will. We are called, not only to recognize Christ as our Savior, but to live as He lived, to do God’s will with courage, faith and perseverance.
In this context, the Letter to the Hebrews challenges us to live the new covenant with Christ fully. If before sacrifices were a means to achieve purification, now true purification happens through union with Christ and acceptance of His sacrifice. Christ did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it in a way so perfect that it allows us, through faith, to participate in the family of God, without the limitations of the Old Testament. He offers us a new way of living and relating to the Father, based on His perfect sacrifice.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, what Christ asks of us today is that we become His true family. He calls us to be His brothers, sisters and mothers, not by the flesh, but by faith, by the willingness to do God’s will in our lives. Are we ready to accept this call? Are we willing to be part of this family of Christ, living the new covenant that He established with His sacrifice?
Now, let us ask God for the grace to live as members of this new family, to be faithful to His will in all areas of our lives. May Christ’s sacrifice, made once and for all, transform our hearts and make us more and more like Him. And that, by living according to His will, we can also be light and salt to the world, showing everyone that we truly are the family of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, we praise You and thank You for the sacrifice of Christ, which brought us salvation and made us part of Your true family. Give us the grace to live according to Your desire, to follow Your will and to be faithful to the new covenant. May, as members of Your family, we reflect Your love and Your mercy in everything we do. In the name of Jesus, our Savior, amen.
