Catholic Men’s Daily Devotional – 25th Week in Ordinary time – Tuesday – Luke 8:19-21

As Christ teaches huge crowds in Galilee, His mother and brethren attempt to reach Him but the crowds are too great. Able to draw close to her Son, Mary sends a message to Christ that she is nearby with His brethren. Christ uses this message, which was perhaps shouted through the crowd, so that He could teach the crowd.  His spontaneous response is powerful: all men and women who do the will of God are His family, and each are related in the Spirit to each other. It is a beautiful proclamation to those hurting, isolated and longing for love.

Some mistakenly interpret this event as Christ acting in a callous and divisive way to Our Lady. Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Christ, the Perfection of God, perfectly keeps all the laws, including the 4th Commandment to “Honor your father and mother…” Christ, Person of the Trinity, lovingly causes the Immaculate Conception of Mary and loves her deeply; Christ will crown Mary the Queen of Heaven.  As Christ reveals, she “ who does the will of the Father is His “mother”; Mary, in her Immaculate Conception,  perfectly does God’s will in her fiat (Luke 1:38). Mary is not shunned; she honored by the Son of God as the perfect example.

Some mistakenly use the reference to the “brethren” of Jesus as proof that Mary had other children; this is false.  As taught by the Church for 2000 years, Jesus was the only child of the Virgin Mary, who remained a virgin her entire life; Jesus had no blood brothers or sisters. A number of points support this truth. Because Hebrew had no word for “cousin”, the word “brethren” was used instead. The “brethren of Jesus” are never called the children of Mary but Jesus is clearly Mary’s son. James and Joseph, mentioned as brethren of Jesus, are actually the sons of another Mary (Matt 27:56). Jesus gives His mother Mary to His disciple John at the crucifixion; Jesus would not have chosen John if He had blood brothers to care for His Mother Mary.

Awed by Jesus Christ – Person of the Trinity, Christ causes the Immaculate Mother of Christ to be born and loves Mary beyond measure.  Son of Man, Christ is the perfection of manhood who perfectly keeps the 4th Commandment to honor His father and mother. Divine Teacher, Christ spontaneously reacts with great wisdom to events, using them to further the explanation of the Gospel.

Being a Heroic Catholic Man

1) Men admire men who can “think on their feet” and who can mesmerize a crowd.  Reflect on the Son of God’s awesome omniscience and His ability to spontaneous offer Divine Wisdom to the huge crowds who followed Him.

2) While, in the decaying culture,  immature men consider it funny to make “yo mama” jokes, men of character bristle at insults against their mothers.  As a Catholic man, commit to study and be prepared to defend the dignity of the Mother of Our King’s miraculous virgin motherhood and her perpetual virginity.

3) Each man, in his own many ways, is disobedient to the will of the Father.  Take stock of your disobedience and go to Confession, asking Christ to help you overcome your most prevalent current sin and hear the will of God.

Spiritual Practices – Include in Today’s Prayers

Sacred Mystery of Rosary – The Sorrowful Mysteries

Daily Devotion – The Guardian Angels

Virtue of the Day – Justice

Corporal Work of Mercy – To clothe the naked

Spiritual Work of Mercy – To counsel the doubtful