WHO IS MY MOTHER?

PRAYER PAUSE  

Tuesday 21 November 2017, Presentation of Mary in the temple

WHO IS MY MOTHER?

Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within.

Reading: “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to speak with you.” But Jesus replied, “Who is my mother?... Anyone who does the will of my Father.”  (Matt 12:46-50)

Reflection. At first Jesus’ words shock us. He ignores his mother and family in preference to those he is speaking to. But we know he takes opportunities to shock; to wake up his hearers, and us, to realise that the kingdom comes first – even before family. He knew that his mother had embraced the kingdom from her earliest years when she was presented in the temple by her parenst according to Jewish custom. She was the one who did the will of God above all others. The incident inspires us to look at our values: what we put first.

Prayer. Lord, we rejoice in the gift of Mary, your mother and ours. We ask that she may lead us to put the values of your kingdom before all else in our lives. Amen.