If everyone who does the will of the Father in heaven is Christ’s brother and sister, does this mean that those who fail to do the Father’s will are not his brother or sister? If so, then who among us can claim (as we frequently do) that Christ is our brother? For who among us perfectly fulfills the Father’s will? In answer, it is helpful to distinguish between Christ being one’s brother and experiencing the depth and wonder of this privileged relationship offered to all. A person may be a multimillionaire by possessing a winning lottery ticket, but until they claim their winnings they might as well be paupers. Similarly, by God’s loving condescension and free choice Christ is our brother, but it is only when we enter into this relationship by harmonizing our will with that of the Father that we experience its fullness. And so, yes, Christ is our brother and our daily struggle is to open our hearts to the fullness of this relationship in which we find the deepest desire of our hearts perfectly fulfilled. Through this Eucharist may we thus enter more deeply into Christ as we strive to ever more perfectly do the Father’s Will.
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