even in our loving it is important to be discerning - 2nd week saturday

There are at least three instances in the gospel when the reaction of Jesus toward his family seems adverse.  The first was during the finding at the temple.  The second one is this gospel when his family wanted to get hold of him, in fact to seize him because he has gone out of his mind.  And the last, as far as I know, is that gospel when he was told that his family was waiting outside for him and he made that tart reply, "who are my brothers, who are my sisters?" 

Why is this? Why did the gospel writers include this in the narrative?  I do not know.  Probably this is a warning to all of us that there are times that the people we love and the people who love us can become obstacles on our way to God.  And among the many obstacles we have faced, these are the most difficult to dismiss.  It is a reality that many of us faced.  Of course we know better now that they have all the good intentions for us when they did so.  It was part of our struggle, and also theirs, and it was part of the purification of our intention, part of our growing up in freedom.

This gospel is also to make us aware that our love can become an obstacle to the growth of another, that it can happen too, that our good intentions may lead others far from God.  Even in our loving and caring, it is always important to be prayerful and discerning.