Blessed is She Who Believed

Yesterday, the daily Gospel reading was taken from Matthew 21:46-50: 

“While he 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.”

In my musing today, I’m going to share a few thoughts on Mary in this reading. This passage can be confusing because it may seem like Jesus is somehow denying his mother. However, he is doing just the opposite.

By pointing to his mother, I think Jesus intends for us to think about at least two things: the Mystical Body, of which he is the Head and Mary is the mother, and fulfilling God’s will, just as Mary did. 

Because Mary is the mother of the Head of the Body, she is also mother of all parts of the Body, that is, all of us. Everyone is meant to be part of the Body. Whoever does the will of the heavenly Father is in the Body as the mother and brothers of Jesus. 

This was not meant for only Jews to hear, but also the Gentiles: “The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” (Ephesians 3:6). The Gentiles, or non-Christians, can be grafted into the one Mystical Body.

Second, Mary surrendered to God’s will – making herself a mother to Christ not just by bloodline, but also spiritually. Mary is our model of faith in God: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word,” (Luke 1:38). 

Mary followed the will of the Father and we are to be like her. “She never ceased to believe in the fulfillment of God’s word,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 149).

“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” (John 19:26-27)