Dearly Beloved,
"Here are my mother and my brothers" (Mk 3: 35). Jesus revises the concept of the family for us in this verse of the Sacred Scriptures. The crowd around Jesus tells him that his mother, brothers and sisters are outside asking for him. Jesus did not disregard or ignore his blood family in this seemingly rude and dismissive response that everyone around him who does the will of God is his mother and brothers; instead, he teaches us that the family of Jesus is broader than the limited sense of blood ties. What ties us to Jesus and makes us part of his family is a life devoted to doing the will of God. Anyone reading or hearing this homily is a brother and sister of Jesus if they do the will of God.
We here at St. Peter are part of the family of Jesus because we strive to do the will of God. This past Sunday, our obedience to God's will by our public witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Host on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ testified to our belongingness to Jesus' expanded sense of family. In following the will of God to bear testimony to our faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we made a Corpus Christi procession from our Church on the hill through downtown Elizabethtown. We ended with benediction at the Historic Church. We had a reception on the lawn behind the rectory, where many of us were satisfied with the food and drink provided by our ever-present and providing Council of Catholic Women. I am thankful to all who made it a victorious Corpus Christi procession: the Guards of St. Michael, Knights of Columbus, altar servers, and many others who worked behind the scenes. Thanks for making this family, our parish family, a reality. May Jesus grant peace, joy, faith and growth to our parish family, a family built on doing the will of God.
Since we are talking about God's family, I will not fail to mention that I do not reduce the importance of blood family. I love my family and friends and can't wait to see them again tomorrow when I arrive in Lagos, Nigeria. I haven't seen my mother, sisters, nephews, and nieces (and grand-niece) in two years, and I can't wait to spend quality time with them again. Please pray for my flights and vacation at home. I will miss you, but I will keep in touch.
Meanwhile, you will need the sacraments celebrated while I am away. Some priests have been contacted and will be available to offer the Sacraments for the parish for the three weeks I'll be gone.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
"Here are my mother and my brothers" (Mk 3: 35). Jesus revises the concept of the family for us in this verse of the Sacred Scriptures. The crowd around Jesus tells him that his mother, brothers and sisters are outside asking for him. Jesus did not disregard or ignore his blood family in this seemingly rude and dismissive response that everyone around him who does the will of God is his mother and brothers; instead, he teaches us that the family of Jesus is broader than the limited sense of blood ties. What ties us to Jesus and makes us part of his family is a life devoted to doing the will of God. Anyone reading or hearing this homily is a brother and sister of Jesus if they do the will of God.
We here at St. Peter are part of the family of Jesus because we strive to do the will of God. This past Sunday, our obedience to God's will by our public witness to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Sacred Host on the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ testified to our belongingness to Jesus' expanded sense of family. In following the will of God to bear testimony to our faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we made a Corpus Christi procession from our Church on the hill through downtown Elizabethtown. We ended with benediction at the Historic Church. We had a reception on the lawn behind the rectory, where many of us were satisfied with the food and drink provided by our ever-present and providing Council of Catholic Women. I am thankful to all who made it a victorious Corpus Christi procession: the Guards of St. Michael, Knights of Columbus, altar servers, and many others who worked behind the scenes. Thanks for making this family, our parish family, a reality. May Jesus grant peace, joy, faith and growth to our parish family, a family built on doing the will of God.
Since we are talking about God's family, I will not fail to mention that I do not reduce the importance of blood family. I love my family and friends and can't wait to see them again tomorrow when I arrive in Lagos, Nigeria. I haven't seen my mother, sisters, nephews, and nieces (and grand-niece) in two years, and I can't wait to spend quality time with them again. Please pray for my flights and vacation at home. I will miss you, but I will keep in touch.
Meanwhile, you will need the sacraments celebrated while I am away. Some priests have been contacted and will be available to offer the Sacraments for the parish for the three weeks I'll be gone.
In Christ,
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
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