“As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. And one said unto him: ‘Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.’ But he answering him that told him, said: ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?’ And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: ‘Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”
While the fact that the “brethren” here mentioned are Jesus’ cousins has been much commented on, St. Jerome makes an excellent point that “brethren” can refer to four types, first, that of nature: “Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept’ (Genesis 33:4). Secondly, that of nation: “Thou mayst not make a man of another nation king, that is not thy brother” (Deuteronomy 15:17). Thirdly, that of kindred, which is the “brethren” here referred to: “Abram therefore said to Lot: ‘Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee, and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen: for we are brethren” (Genesis 13:8), and of affection: “He that is a friend loveth at all times: and a brother is proved in distress” (Proverbs 17:17). Three of these come naturally, not for the greatness of the other but simply because they are yours, while the fourth arises from a commonality between two that then enjoy each other. However, in the eyes of the Christian, a familial affection should be given to all: “But I say to you, love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45), for the entire human family is one: “[God] hath made of one, all mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth” (Acts 17:26), each person loved by God and to be loved by you. Now, to interrupt Jesus’ discourse for a private conversation is not loving, for it says in the Wisdom books: “Before thou hear, answer not a word: and interrupt not others in the midst of their discourse” (Ecclesiasticus 11:8), but if Mary lived her whole life without the stain of sin, her every action being one of magnificent love, why this blot? It is rather the action of the messenger, obtaining knowledge that Mary and the kindred of Jesus did indeed desire to see Him, but they did not wish to interrupt Him. The messenger then presented a snare before Him, whether He would prefer His family to the great spiritual work put before Him, or if He would disobey the commandment to “Honour thy father and thy mother” (Exodus 20:12). Now, Jesus did not disobey this commandment in not heeding the desires of His mother, but rather listened to the will of His heavenly Father: “And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). Jesus then stretches out His hand, showing His followers to be His true family, the family of faith. Because to be brought into the family of faith is to become Jesus’ brother or sister, “He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11), how does one become his mother? The answer to this is to bear spiritual children: “Give me children, otherwise I shall die” (Genesis 30:1), be it by preaching: “For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you” (1 Corinthians 4:15), prayer: “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer” (Acts 6:4), or the fragrance of love emitted in one’s life: “Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments” (Canticle 1:3), is to bring the life of Christ into the soul of another, begetting a love of Jesus in the soul of another by one’s own labors: “My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19). This is because true love always seeks a type of begetting, to manifest the love between two in a fruit of love: “I am the vine; you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit” (John 15:5), which for couples are children, but for the lover of God this is souls: “Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Jesus then says that “whoever does the will of God” takes up this dignity of being of the family of Jesus. What then is the will of God? “Dearly beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. And every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God” (1 John 4:7). A radical love of Jesus that expresses itself in justice and fervent love of others is the narrow way: “How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!” (Matthew 7:14). Ah, Theophila, how many miss this little gate, this simple path that opens into a golden road of love and flowers: “Stay me up with flowers” (Canticle 2:5), in favor of anything else that their souls can grasp! How Jesus wants to love you and be loved by you: “As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. Abide in my love” (John 15:9), with you in turn loving others with the love He gives you: “A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). This unlocks the final mystery, that there is a spiritual meaning to this text, that a dry, rigid obedience of the commandments, or following the Law, seeks to intercede with the life-giving words of Jesus, which is what is represented by the mother, for the Law is the mother of the New Commandment. However, Jesus, by filling you with the spirit of love, animates you into a loving relationship with God, that you may not bear the burden of a slavish obedience to His commands, but rather desire always to please Him from a love bursting from your heart. It is for this reason that St. Paul says, “The letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth” (2 Corinthians 3:6), for action spurred by a surplus of love for Jesus or your neighbor is the will of God.