Bring A Friends

Growing up we called most of the grown-ups in our lives Auntie or Uncle. It was a Hawaiian cultural sign of respect. I had no idea who was actually related to me and who wasn’t. I guess I could have put the numbers together, knowing dad had six siblings + spouses, and mom had three siblings + spouses, but I never felt the need to take an inventory of actual blood relations because everyone that was in our lives somehow became family. I got together with my cousins at a family reunion recently and we started talking about all the “bring a friends” that we have collected over the years that actually attended every family reunion, wedding, funeral, etc. And yes, some of us actually forgot that the “bring a friends” were not blood related. That’s just what we do. It was such a beautiful and rich upbringing and our family friends always felt cherished, welcomed, and wanted. Jesus invites us to his family reunion in today’s gospel.

Just like we called everyone Auntie or Uncle, today Jesus says, “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” We are the “bring a friends” that become family!! How fun is that?!! The key is that we do the will of our heavenly Father and so we must constantly align ourselves with that will. Keeping our hearts, minds, and spirit supple to grace is a constant move in our lives and requires receptivity that only comes from time spent in the presence of Jesus. Today’s gospel addresses that. Jesus gives a special invitation to those in his midst, “Here are my mother and my brother,” right here soaking in my word and being near to my heart. I am so moved by this today. Jesus calls me his sister and all I have to do is be in his presence. The more I am in his presence, the more my will becomes the Father’s will. 

Wouldn’t it be lovely to sit around at our next family reunion and not know who is blood related and who isn’t? Wouldn’t it be beautiful to call one another brother and sister and mother knowing that what makes us so is that we spend time with Jesus? Wouldn’t the world be different if we all knew whose we are? Jesus invites us into the family today, where we are cherished, welcomed, and wanted. It is well with my soul.

Reading 1 EX 14:21—15:1

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided,
the children of Israel marched into the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers."
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, 
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh's whole army
that had followed the children of Israel into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the children of Israel had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD:

I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

Responsorial Psalm EXODUS 15:8-9, 10 AND 12, 17

R.(1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
At the breath of your anger the waters piled up,
the flowing waters stood like a mound,
the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy boasted, "I will pursue and overtake them;
I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;
I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!" 
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
When your wind blew, the sea covered them;
like lead they sank in the mighty waters.
When you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, O LORD, which your hands established. 
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Alleluia JN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him
and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 12:46-50

While Jesus was 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."