Jesus comes down from the mountain to his earthly home and enters a house.
One of the fathers writes that in bringing the apostles to a house, he entreats them to examine their conscience. How frequently do we examine our conscience? Many in the church examine their conscience when they return to their rooms at night for night prayer. Or we may examine our conscience at the beginning of mass.
But they do not have long to examine, since the crowds press upon them, thirsty for the living water that Jesus gives and the miracles he can provide. It was not the princes, but the common people who pressed upon Jesus. The poor ones, those who acknowledge their utter need before Christ, these are the ones who beg for salvation from the Author of Salvation.
And then there were His relatives. They misunderstood his wonders, thinking Jesus mad. After all, He had some many people attending on Him that He couldn’t eat. Jesus’ home life was not the most comfortable. He had to disagree with the sentiments of his own relatives. Think of what his mother must have felt when he said, “Who are my mother and my brothers? Those who hear the Word of God and observe it.” (Although, Mary fits this category). Or how she didn’t understand when as a boy he discussed truth in His Father’s house. Or how she looked at him on the cross, trying to understand how he was the king and savior that the angel promised her. And yet no one understood better than her who had pondered all in her heart and who was so closely conformed to Jesus, man of her flesh. It could be but probably wasn’t Mary who thought Christ was mad, but some other relatives.
Lord, help us to examine our conscience and see not only our sins but our need for You. Stoop down to our needs and provide for us, so that we follow you. Keep us humble before you so that we do not try to control how you choose to act in our lives. Help us in our misunderstandings with others to seek the truth, which is outside us, and to find it!
Mary, refuge of sinners, lead us to your Son whom we so desperately need as the Coherence of our lives and the Author of our salvation. Go between Your Son and us so that we may reach a better understanding of the Father’s will in our life. Give us your poor humility to accept God’s action in our life, however that may come about.
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