First Reading (Zechariah 2,14-17)
Reading of the Prophecy of Zechariah.
“Rejoice, be glad, O city of Zion, behold, I come to dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations will come to the Lord in that day, and they will be his people. I will dwell among you, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will enter into possession of Judah, as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Let every mortal be silent before the Lord, he has just arisen from his holy dwelling.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Matthew 12,46-50)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, while Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, trying to talk to him. Someone said to Jesus, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are outside, and they want to talk to you.” Jesus asked the one who had spoken, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand to the disciples, Jesus said, “Behold my mother and my brothers. For everyone who does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother and my sister and my mother.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
With joy in my heart, I join you bringing the Word of God that illuminates and strengthens us on this journey of faith. Today, the readings we hear resonate with a powerful message about the divine character of Jesus and the meaning of belonging to his spiritual family.
In the first reading, the prophet Zechariah invites us to exult and rejoice, for the Lord will come to live among us. He will be our inheritance and will surround us with his love, as a mother welcomes her children. This is a beautiful and comforting image – that of God, our heavenly Father, who intimately desires to dwell among us and tenderly care for us.
My brothers, this passage reminds us that we are not just God’s servants, but his beloved children. He is not a distant and impassive God, but a Father who cares deeply about us and wants to welcome us into his Kingdom. We are not just pawns in a divine game, but members of a sacred family, called to enjoy the blessing of His presence and participate in His redemptive work.
In the Gospel, Jesus reveals to us an even deeper truth about our spiritual identity. When his mother and brothers look for him, he takes the opportunity to define who the real members of his family are. It is not blood ties that determine this belonging, but rather the intimate connection we establish with God through faith and obedience to his Word.
My beloved ones, this passage challenges us to recognize that our most essential identity is not found in our earthly origins, but in our divine sonship. We are sons and daughters of the Most High, called to live according to his will and to fulfill his mission of bringing his message of salvation to the world. Our human families are important, but they should point us to the eternal family we have in God.
Brethren, as we meditate on these Scriptures, we are confronted with the depth of God’s love for us. He sees us not just as servants or subjects, but as members of his own family. He welcomes us into his Kingdom and invites us to enjoy his presence in our midst. What a wonderful honor and privilege!
However, with this blessing also comes responsibility. For if we belong to the family of God, we are called to live according to his teachings and to reflect his character in our daily relationships and actions. This means loving one another with the same love that God loves us, caring for the less fortunate as He cares for us, and seeking to do the Father’s will in everything we do.
My brothers and sisters, we cannot let this transformative truth go unnoticed. We need to let it sink deep into our hearts and change the way we see ourselves and live. Because, when we accept that we are children of God, everything else becomes secondary. Our identities, our priorities, our relationships – everything is reevaluated in light of this spiritual reality.
Imagine, for example, how this would affect the way we relate to our family members. By recognizing that they too belong to the family of God, our patience, compassion, and willingness to forgive would become much deeper. We would no longer see them just as relatives, but as brothers and sisters in Christ, united by bonds much stronger than those of blood.
Likewise, our relationship with strangers and marginalized people in society would also be transformed. Instead of judging or avoiding them, we would see in them our own brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same heavenly Father. We would feel an urgency to extend to them the same grace and compassion that God extends to us.
And, of course, our way of seeing ourselves would also change radically. No longer defining ourselves by our failures, weaknesses or circumstances, but by the glorious reality of being heirs of the Kingdom of God. We would understand that we are not mere spectators in this story, but essential actors in the realization of the divine plan of redemption.
Brothers, this is the transformation that God wants to work in us today. He wants us to recognize our identity as members of his family and live up to this heavenly calling. He wants our belonging to Him to be the centering force of our lives, informing all of our choices and relationships.
I know this may seem like an intimidating challenge. After all, we human beings tend to define ourselves by our weaknesses and limitations. It is much easier to see ourselves as sinful servants than as beloved children of God. But this is exactly why God’s grace is so necessary and so transformative.
When we surrender to this grace, when we allow ourselves to be enveloped by the love of our heavenly Father, our identities are reshaped. Our deficiencies and failures no longer define us, for we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Our scars and wounds are healed by God’s merciful kindness. And our lives gain a new purpose and meaning, as we are called to participate in the Lord’s redemptive work.
My dear brothers and sisters, this is the glorious reality that today’s readings invite us to embrace. We are not mere servants, but sons and daughters of the King of kings. We are not just pawns in a divine game, but essential members of God’s family, called to reflect His image and proclaim His wonders.
Therefore, let this truth profoundly transform your lives. Seek to cultivate an ever deeper intimacy with your heavenly Father. Surrender to His redeeming grace and allow It to shape your identity. And then leave here determined to live as the beloved children of God that you are, bringing His light and love to a world that needs it so much.
May the blessing of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you, now and always. Amen.
