Finding Our True Family: Reflections on Mark 3:31-35

Today's Gospel presents us with a powerful moment in the ministry of Jesus. His mother and brothers arrive, standing outside and asking for him. The crowd alerts Jesus to their presence, but his response challenges our conventional understanding of family.

"Who are my mother and my brothers?" Jesus asks, looking at those seated around him. Then he declares, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Beyond Blood Relations

This passage isn't a rejection of family ties or a dismissal of his mother Mary. Rather, Jesus expands our understanding of what it means to belong. He invites us into a family bound not by blood, but by shared commitment to doing God's will.

In a world that often divides people by nationality, race, socioeconomic status, or background, Jesus offers a radically inclusive vision. The family of God has room for everyone willing to listen, respond, and live according to his teachings.

Doing the Will of God

But what does it mean to do God's will? Throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches that God's will involves love, mercy, compassion, and justice. It means caring for the vulnerable, forgiving those who wrong us, and seeking peace. It means turning away from selfishness and turning toward service.

This calling isn't reserved for the extraordinarily holy or the professionally religious. Jesus looks at the ordinary people sitting around him—fishermen, tax collectors, women, children—and sees potential family members. The invitation is open to all.

A Challenge for Today

On this feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a brilliant theologian who spent his life seeking to understand and explain God's truth, we're reminded that belonging to God's family requires both heart and mind. Thomas combined rigorous intellectual pursuit with deep devotion, showing us that doing God's will engages our whole person.

Today's Gospel challenges us to examine our own lives. Are we doing God's will? Are we living in ways that reflect our membership in this divine family? Do we recognize others—especially those different from us—as our brothers and sisters?

Jesus doesn't ask us to abandon our earthly families. He asks us to expand our circle, to see beyond our immediate connections, and to recognize that anyone who seeks to do God's will is family. This perspective transforms how we treat strangers, how we respond to those in need, and how we navigate a divided world.

Living as Family

When we truly embrace this teaching, everything changes. The homeless person becomes our brother. The refugee becomes our sister. The person struggling with addiction, the elderly neighbor, the difficult coworker—all become family.

This isn't easy. Family relationships require patience, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love. But Jesus assures us that those who do God's will share in the closest possible relationship with him.

As we reflect on today's Gospel, let's ask ourselves: How can we better live as members of God's family? How can we expand our hearts to include those we might otherwise overlook? And how can we, like Saint Thomas Aquinas, dedicate ourselves to understanding and doing God's will?

The answer begins with the simple act of sitting with Jesus, listening to his word, and allowing it to transform how we see ourselves and others. In doing so, we take our place in the family of God.