Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Our Lady showed her faith in deeds

To read the texts click on the texts: Zech 2:10-13; Mt 12:46-50

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The Carmelites built a chapel in the midst of their hermitages on Mount Carmel which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

The readings of today are from the Gospel of Matthew and  contains a pointer as to who make up the true family of Jesus. Unlike in Mark, where the “crowd” is pointed out to as the true family of Jesus, in Matthew, it is the community of disciples who make up the true family. The point being made in this text is not so much about the mother or brothers and sisters of Jesus, but about who will be regarded as true members of Jesus’ family. The action of stretching out his hand has been used earlier to portray Jesus as compassionate (8,3) and also an act, which will be used later to show him as the great deliverer who comes to the aid of his disciples (14,31). In the concluding statement, the Matthean Jesus makes clear that discipleship and being a member of his family is not merely a matter of verbal profession even proclamation, but doing the will of God. This aspect makes anyone a brother or sister of Jesus.

We may imagine that because we have been baptised into the faith we can take for granted that we are members of Jesus’ family. This need not be so, since we need to keep renewing our commitment to Jesus and his cause every day. While verbal proclamation does have its place, it alone is not enough. We must show through our deeds whom we believe in.