Discover how today's Gospel challenges us to balance our love for Jesus with our love for our neighbors, fostering a holistic, faith-filled life.
Today's Gospel: Mark 3:20-21
I can only imagine what it must have been like when Jesus came to town. After hearing the stories, maybe even some firsthand accounts from friends or relatives, it must have been incredible to find out that Jesus was only a few doors down. We can get a glimpse of the craze that came over people in today’s Gospel. Mark tells us that the people were so packed into the home where Jesus was that the crowd was unable to even eat.
Mark gives us the impression this crowd was very focused on two things. First, they were focused on Jesus - this is good! We should keep our eyes fixed on Jesus throughout our day and look to Him for the wisdom to do the next right thing. However, I imagine they were also very focused on their own experience of seeing Jesus, even at the expense of their neighbors.
There are two great commandments - to love God above all and to love our neighbors as our selves. The crowd clearly loved Jesus as they came immediately to be close to Him. However, they forgot the second commandment. They wanted so desperately to see Jesus that they put themselves and their neighbors in a position of scarcity.
Catholicism is a both/and religion. God is both three and one. Jesus is both human and divine. Our faith is grounded in both Scripture and Tradition. We have both an individual relationship with God as well as communal relationship within the Mystical Body of Christ. If we lean too heavily on one side of a both/and, the other suffers and leads to some form of disordered relationship with God or with each other.
Ponder:
Are there any places or relationships in your life where a prayerful consideration of balance would be fruitful?
Pray:
Dear Jesus, thank You for the desire to know You more deeply. Please help me recognize Your presence both in my own heart as well as in the heart of each person I encounter.
Pray Together:
Look for ways to put others before yourself, especially at your parish. Volunteer to hold the door, participate in hospitality ministry, or offer your seats to a last-minute family.
Copyright 2026 Kate Taliaferro
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