His mother and brethren seek Him

St Matthew Chapter XII : Verses 46-50

Contents

• Matt. xii. 46-50  Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. xii. 46-50

Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

46 As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 

Adhuc eo loquente ad turbas, ecce mater ejus et fratres stabant foras, quærentes loqui ei.

47 And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee.

Dixit autem ei quidam : Ecce mater tua, et fratres tui foris stant quærentes te.

48 But he answering him that told him, said: Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?

At ipse respondens dicenti sibi, ait : Quæ est mater mea, et qui sunt fratres mei?

49 And stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren.

Et extendens manum in discipulos suos, dixit : Ecce mater mea, et fratres mei.

50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Quicumque enim fecerit voluntatem Patris mei, qui in caelis est, ipse meus frater, et soror, et mater est.

Notes

    46. his mother and his brethren. Perhaps they wished to invite Him to rest or to take food. By “brethren” the Evangelist indicates James (afterwards Bishop of Jerusalem), Joseph, Simon, and Jude. They were not, of course, own brothers to our Lord, since the Blessed Virgin had no other son than Jesus. This is an article of faith, therefore the brethren in question were His cousins, the sons of Mary, wife of Cleophas (also called Alphæus). and this Mary, wife of Cleophas, appears to have been our Lady’s first cousin, since a tradition exists that, our Lady was an only child.

    According to a Jewish custom, cousins were styled brethren. Thus Abraham, speaking to Lot, says we are brethren (Gen. xiii. 8), and Laban calls his nephew Jacob, my brother (Gen. xxix. 15). Had Jesus had brethren according to the flesh He would not, when dying, have committed His Holy Mother to the charge of St John. Some Greek writers have put forward the opinion that these “brethren ” were children of St Joseph by a previous marriage, and thus they were our Lord’s step-brothers, but the universal opinion of the Latin Church is that St Joseph was espoused only to our Blessed Lady,

    stood without. They could not enter the house, as the crowds thronged our Lord.

    48. Who is my mother, etc. ? Our Lord does not deny, slight, or offend His Mother by these words ; and by His answer he shews —

    (1) That He practised what He Himself exacted from His disciples, viz. renunciation of home and kindred.

    (2) That God is to be preferred before all.

    (3) That spiritual ties are higher and holier than earthly ties. Cf. St Luke ii. 48, 49.

    50. whosoever shall do the will, etc. Those who do the will of God and strive to bring others to His knowledge are recognized by Jesus as brother, sister, and mother, and this privilege is open to all. From this point of view, how dear was Mary to her divine Son, since her motto ever was, Be it done unto me according to thy word. The enumeration of the different kinds of earthly relationship shew that in spiritual relationship there is no distinction of sex (St Mark xii. 25 ; Gal. iii. 28).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.