Jesus said that He came for division, to divide a family three against two (Lk 12:52). He meant that some family members would receive Him while others would reject Him, at least for a time. For those who love Jesus and love their families, and yet have been rejected within their families because of their love for Jesus, there is great pain.
Yet Jesus offers the greatest consolation amidst this pain.Through our Baptism and by doing the will of God, we are adopted and transplanted into the family of God (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2782; Eph 1:5). We become a brother or sister of Jesus, a son or daughter of God the Father, united in love through the Holy Spirit. Praise be to the Holy Trinity forever! Our family meal is now the Mass, as we gather with the rest of our family at the table of the Lord to receive the Holy Eucharist.
In the meantime, continue to love your biological family and pray for them. Your love and prayers may not seem to be having any impact. It might even seem that your love and prayers are making the situation worse. Keep persevering anyway. Day by day, the Lord is working behind the scenes (Mk 4:26ff) to unite your family in Him, starting with you. Jesus is the stumbling Stone that smashes a family apart (Mt 21:44) and the Cornerstone upon Which the family is rebuilt (Mt 21:42; Ps 118:22; 1 Pt 2:7).
| PRAYER: | "I have come to do Your will, O God" (Heb 10:7). |
| PROMISE: | "By this 'will,' we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." –Heb 10:10 |
| PRAISE: | St. Francis de Sales pastored his flock with gentleness, patience, understanding, and great love. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College