True Relation

Weekly Missionary Reflection
10th Ordinary Sunday, 09 June 2024
Gen. 3:9-15; Ps. 130:1-2,3-4ab,4c-6,7-8; 2 Cor. 4:13 – 5:1; Mark 3:20-35

“Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.“
(Mark 3:34-35)

Today’s Gospel reading is taken from the Gospel of Mark 3:20-35. It’s telling about Jesus in His relation to His ministry and family. Jesus who always travelled and preached God’s words, was always surrounded by the crowd that made them even not possible to eat. Knowing this situation, the relatives of Jesus were worried and wanted to fetch Him back home. They meant good so that Jesus could live and eat properly and keep a good health. Here is the point where a misunderstanding happened. The response of Jesus’ relatives who thought He was out of His mind shows that misunderstanding could happen anytime due to ignorance. Besides His relatives, the Scribes also thought that Jesus was possessed by demons.

The accusation of Jesus casting out demons by Beelzebul shows a spiritual blindness and rejection of the truth of the Scribes in the power of Jesus. This reminds us of the importance of opening our hearts and minds to God’s work and not hardening our hearts to the truth. We are also invited not to easily make a judgment about the other, especially when we do not understand the mission or vocation of the others. 

Ignoring those accusations, Jesus persistently remained in His mission of preaching the Kingdom of God. Jesus inspires us to stay determined in our faith and calling despite the challenge or rejection. Jesus extends the meaning of a family, from blood relation to the relation of faith and obedience to God’s will. Through His words today, Jesus calls us to be one family supporting each other in faith, for following God’s will makes us part of the Kingdom of God.

Misunderstanding happens in life, even from our close people. Experiencing this could be disappointing. Through today’s Gospel, we are strengthened to keep faithful and firm in our mission of preaching God’s word everywhere. No man’s saying can stop the mission of God’s word. Let us continuously strive to be faithful in our daily ministries.

Our mission today: is to remain faithful and persevere in our ministry with daily prayer, reading the Scripture, and being part of the ministry community.

(Ignasius Lede – Commission for Mission of The Bishop’s Conference of Indonesia)

DAILY DEDICATED PRAYER

Lord, our Father, I present my today prayer, thought, word, work, joy, and sorrow in unity with Your Son, Jesus Christ, who always presents Himself in the Eucharist for the salvation of the world. May the Holy Spirit animating Jesus, also be my guidance and strength today so that I am ready to be the witness of Your love.

Together with Mary, Mother of Jesus, and the Church, in particular, I present my prayer for our Pope and apostle prayer of the Indonesian Church this month:

Universal Church Intent: For migrants fleeing their homes 
We pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys full of danger and violence, find welcome and new opportunities in the countries that receive them.

Indonesian Church Intent: For the young people
We pray that the churches will be more open and able to embrace the young people in the process of identity formation so that they can experience Christ as their Friend and Saviour.

Amen.