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Saint Laurence of Brindisi, Priest, Doctor

July 21st, 2010

“Someone came up to Jesus and said, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.’ Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’”
Mt12 : 46-50

It is difficult to understand Jesus’ remark here. He who spoke of the essence of love, who had been a dutiful Son for thirty years and ensured that his mother would be cared for after his death, now seemed to be rejecting his family, especially his mother. What son can reject his mother who had brought him up in the loving ties of the love she and Joseph had for each other. Yet, examining this situation, isn’t it true that the final act of love of parents is to let go. Good parents know they must let their offspring find their own way in life, guiding them certainly, but allowing them to live life to the full.

Our gospel today portrays Jesus as the dutiful Son, ready to give up the comfort of the family home in order to fulfil the will of his heavenly Father and to make his home in him.

Prayer


Prayer Lord, help me to choose which is the way to follow you so that I may be able to say, ‘May your will be done.’

Just a Thought

The Eucharist

The manner in which we celebrate Eucharist and the reverence we give to it speak greatly of the sort of people we are. The following is a lovely story from the early Church which I came across recently: it might help us to understand what it means to be a member of the Church:

Cyprian of Cathage, wrote to his friend, Donatus: “It’s a bad world, Donatus, in which we live. But right in the middle of it I have discovered a quiet and holy group of people. They are people who have found a happiness that is a thousand times more joyful than all the pleasures of our sinful lives. These people are despised and persecuted, but it doesn’t matter to them. They are Christians, Donatus, and I am one of them.”

St. Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, describes how those people, the early Christians, bore witness to Christ and celebrated the Eucharist – i.e. the Mass; “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions;… There was not a needy person among them…. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes…”

The Eucharist has consequences for the way we should live our lives. St. Augustine tells us that the Lord gave us these gifts of his Body and Blood so that we, too, might become these very things – i.e. his Body and Blood for the life of the world.

During the celebration of the Last Supper Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you also should do what I have done to you.” Through us Christ is made present to our world. Our sharing in the Eucharist bonds us together with our brothers and sisters who have also been immersed into the life of Christ through the waters of Baptism.

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