As we read in the Responsorial Psalm, “Here am I Lord; I come to do your will”, we are reminded of the importance of pursuing the will of God in our lives. Not running from it or hiding from God but asking Him to give us the grace to do His will in our life. Obedience to God’s will allows His love to transform us into our true self.
As Catholics, we know that we live once on this earth, as the Epistle to the Hebrews states, “it is appointed that man dies once, and after this is the judgment.” It is so important that we actively seek the will of God and not lose sight of our end goal to be included in the very family of God. When we prayerfully seek to live out the will of God, we will discover that the Lord will flood us with graces that are signs we are doing God’s will.
In the Gospel passage, Jesus tells us that “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” For many, this Scripture can seem confusing at face value, but the Lord offers us a deeper insight into the family of God. The Family of God is open to all; it is an opportunity for us to be grafted in and to be called the sons and daughters of the great King. Jesus comes to us not only as our King but as our Savior, Brother, and Friend. He desires us to understand that no matter what, we have a family, and Jesus is the key to unlocking this relationship. Through Him we come to know and love His Father, the Holy Spirit, His Mother, and all the Saints who have been faithful to Him.
Jesus is not avoiding his personal family but is using this as an example of the intimate relationship He is offering to each one of us. He is offering us a more intimate relationship with Him than what we have with a parent or sibling. He wants to cultivate this relationship in our hearts and fulfill our deepest longings.
St. Francis de Sales was an inspiring example of inviting others into the love of Christ and the family of God. As a missionary to Geneva Switzerland, which had become very anti-Catholic, he patiently labored for 3 years to bring to the people the true Gospel. His breakthrough came when the parents noticed how kind he was to children, and how much they enjoyed playing with him. After this, they opened their doors to hear his message. St. Francis emphasized the importance of unity with all who are in the family of God: “Let us walk on the way with our brothers and sisters gently, peacefully and amiably.”
Como leemos en el Salmo Responsorial, “Aquí estoy, Señor, para hacer tu voluntad.”, se nos recuerda la importancia de seguir la voluntad de Dios en nuestras vidas. No huir de ella ni escondernos de Dios, sino pedirle que nos dé la gracia de hacer Su voluntad en nuestras vidas. La obediencia a la voluntad de Dios permite que Su amor nos transforme en nuestro verdadero ser.
Como católicos, sabemos que vivimos una vez en esta tierra, como dice la Epístola a los Hebreos, “está establecido que el hombre muera una vez, y después de esto el juicio”. Es muy importante que busquemos activamente la voluntad de Dios y no perdamos de vista nuestro objetivo final de ser incluidos en la misma familia de Dios. Cuando buscamos en oración vivir la voluntad de Dios, descubriremos que el Señor nos inundará con gracias que son señales de que estamos haciendo la voluntad de Dios.
En el pasaje del Evangelio, Jesús nos dice que “el que cumple la voluntad de Dios, ése es mi hermano, mi hermana y mi madre”. Para muchos, esta Escritura puede parecer confusa a simple vista, pero el Señor nos ofrece una visión más profunda de la familia de Dios. La Familia de Dios está abierta a todos; es una oportunidad para que seamos injertados y llamados hijos e hijas del gran Rey. Jesús viene a nosotros no solo como nuestro Rey, sino también como nuestro Salvador, Hermano y Amigo. Él desea que entendamos que pase lo que pase, tenemos una familia, y Jesús es la clave para desbloquear esta relación. Por Él llegamos a conocer y amar a Su Padre, al Espíritu Santo, a Su Madre y a todos los Santos que le han sido fieles.
Jesús no evita a su familia personal, sino que la usa como ejemplo de la relación íntima que nos ofrece a cada uno de nosotros. Él nos está ofreciendo una relación más íntima con Él que la que tenemos con un padre o un hermano. Él quiere cultivar esta relación en nuestros corazones y cumplir nuestros anhelos más profundos.
San Francisco de Sales fue un ejemplo inspirador de invitar a otros al amor de Cristo y la familia de Dios. Como misionero en Ginebra, Suiza, que se había vuelto muy anticatólica, trabajó pacientemente durante 3 años para llevar a la gente el verdadero Evangelio. Su gran avance se produjo cuando los padres notaron lo amable que era con los niños y cuánto disfrutaban jugar con él. Después de esto, abrieron sus puertas para escuchar su mensaje. San Francisco enfatizó la importancia de la unidad con todos los que están en la familia de Dios: “Caminemos por el camino con nuestros hermanos y hermanas con dulzura, paz y amabilidad”.
Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her next one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, comes out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.
Feature Image Credit: Pobi Menne, cathopic.com/photo/13565-paz
Dakota lives in Denver, CO with her husband, Ralph, and their two sons, Alfie & Theophilus. She is the Dean of Enrollment Management for Bishop Machebeuf High School where her husband also teaches. You can find Dakota at the zoo or a brewery with her family or with her nose in a book at home. For more of Dakota’s writing check out 
Allison Gingras ( 
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at 
Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Thirteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the executive editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program—an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students. You can reach her at 
Christine Hanus currently lives in Upstate, NY. Though she enjoys writing and her work as a catechist, Christine is primarily a wife, mother, and more recently, grandmother!
Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the older one who is fascinated with learning about his faith. He also has served on a Catholic school board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and seven grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is 
Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at for Christian Healthcare Centers, is a guest blogger on 
J.M. Pallas has had a lifelong love of Scriptures. When she is not busy with her vocation as a wife and mother to her “1 Samuel 1” son, or her vocation as a public health educator, you may find her at her parish women’s bible study, affectionately known as “The Bible Chicks.”
1-800-994-9817