"Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" (Mk 3: 20-26, 31-35
Return* by Mariella Colosimo of the group of biblical reflection of the groupWORD… AND WORDS** of Rome of 2 February 2018
Our caravan restarts in an atmosphere of listening to mutual words, stimulated by the word of writing. We read the song of the Gospel of Marco 3: 20-26,31-35. The prejudice of knowledge can be addressed thanks to the help of a daughter capable of giving shape to the storm of emotions, writing one's emotional autobiography.
It is difficult to give visibility and concreteness to a training course on the full inclusion and participation of homosexual people in the life of the Church, even when it is the institution itself that gives the mandate for an inclusive pastoral care. The mandate can be given, of course, but prudence then pushes to withdraw that hand that had offered itself, at least for the moment.
A mother recognizes himself deeply in the figure of Mary who emerges from Marco's story, a life partner who, without the help of any angel, to the shell of concern, comes to consider his son crazy, who with his behavior has distorted The serenity and undermined the honorability of his family of origin. The effort to welcome diversity is linked to fear for a daughter who could be destined to live in a hostile cultural context. Fear very close to that of Mary in front of the son's "follies".
The loneliness of Jesus, misunderstood even by the disciples chosen he chosen, generates a total fear in the mother, who only wants to protect his son even from himself. The entrance of Jesus into a house, of which the Gospel of Mark speaks, evokes the thought of the family where the most intimate relationships are experienced, but also sometimes more difficult.
Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?
Biological family, family of election: how to live this rich family constellation serenely, but also so complex?
It will be madness to coexist these pieces within itself, but it is the only way forward, even if tiring and painful.
It is the bond of care that truly creates a family worthy of the name, certainly not blood constraints. Without this link, relationships are destined to remain fragile and weak. Why does Jesus seem not to give sufficient value to this bond of care, which certainly existed also in his family?
Yet the response of Jesus is liberating and liberating. "Whoever does the will of God, he is brother, sister and mother for me". It is one the project of life and love of Jesus, beyond any label or prejudice, a project for everyone without any discrimination.
Of course, it is easy to fall into the cultural retailers that they have transmitted to us for a lifetime, but the faith in the message of Jesus helps to trace the china.
When judging and hostile rigidity to diversity crosses its family world, the pain becomes even more acute and unbearable.
If his family of origin does not make an effort to understand and welcome the diversity of his child, he may also happen to feel forced to "choose bitterly" to self-pay to not dishonor his family, taking over the load of A devastating solitude.
If Jesus, with his testimony and his words, pushes us to relativize the constraints of blood, it still remains very difficult to do it, and only in some circumstances is it possible to remain on themselves.
The denial of one's sexual orientation would seem to be the fate of homosexuals, a fate of solitude that only daily struggle can break.
For those who belong to a minority it is particularly liberating to cross the emotion of anger, but it is also the transition to assertiveness, self -affirmation, indispensable to recover a strong sense of self and of one's dignity.
Allow that there are those who change and those who do not change do not slow down the love of a child for their parents who do not change. Accepting the freedom of a parent, who could also take a "skull", is rasserent, even if not even friends manage to fully understand this capacity for acceptance. Being aware of the suffering of those who do not change, remaining closed in the rigidity of their pain, of its schemes, is a great act of love.
It may seem paradoxical, but it is also a great act of love towards the Church to denounce the sin committed over the centuries from the Church itself, in creating loads of infinite suffering against homosexuals. Only this complaint can start that process of authentic conversion to which the Gospel message must push us.
Faced with the bisexuality of her daughter, recently discovered, the disorientation of a mother is maximum, even if the effort of being next to her is equally strong. Even with a smile and a little irony, and it is precisely the father who unexpectedly helps in this direction.
And there are those who express a strong sense of gratitude for their family of origin, a place of significant, open and liberating love relationships. The search for God's will is lightened by sharing with other brothers united in the same research.
È un caso o una scelta inconsapevole ritrovarsi da non credente in un gruppo di credenti? Comunque un’occasione per ritornare alla scrittura ascoltata nell’infanzia attraverso la voce e le parole di una nonna testimone di Geova.
Un dubbio si affaccia leggendo il Vangelo: solo chi fa la volontà di Dio può essere considerato fratello? E gli altri? Leggere e capire la Bibbia secondo la propria coscienza è possibile? Si può fare a meno dell’analisi del contesto storico e dell’interpretazione storico-critica per comprendere a fondo il messaggio di Gesù e attualizzarlo, rendendolo concreto e vivo nella nostra vita e nella nostra società?
Parola e parole. Quali parole hanno avuto particolare risonanza stasera? Quali ci portiamo via?
Libertà di cuore e cura. Solitudine di Gesù, ma solitudine feconda, che aprirà nuove strade e che apre comunque ad un sogno d’amore, alla vita che nasce e che cresce.
La volontà di Dio che è amore. Ogni forma di amore, dunque, è nel progetto di Dio.
Anche uno sguardo può essere espressivo come una parola, anche uno sguardo può essere portato via e conservato nel cuore.
Entrò in una casa e di nuovo si radunò una folla, tanto che non potevano neppure mangiare. Allora i suoi, sentito questo, uscirono per andare a prenderlo; dicevano infatti: «È fuori di sé».
The scribes, who had descended from Jerusalem, said: "He is owned by Beelzebùl and chases the demons by means of the head of demons". But he called them and with parables he said to them: «How can Satan escape Satan? If a kingdom is divided into itself, that kingdom will not be able to remain standing; If a house is divided into itself, that house will not be able to remain standing. Etana, if he rebels against himself and is divided, cannot remain standing, but he is over.
His mother and brothers arrived and, being out, sent him to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him: "Here, your mother, your brothers and sisters are out and seek you." But he replied: "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" By turning his gaze on those who were sitting around him, he said: «Here is my mother and brothers! Because whoever makes the will of God, for me is brother, sister and mother for me ».
Marco 3: 20-26,31-35
* The return is a sort of report of what has been said during the meeting. As in a collage, significant fragments of the interventions of the individual participants, words and thoughts expressed by each and each one are placed together.
**** WORD… AND WORDSIt is a Christian experiential meeting group for parents of LGBT people and LGBT parents from Rome. We meet to travel and trace the journey together towards an inclusive society and church, where nobody is put on the edge. We do it following in the footsteps of that Jesus of Nazareth, who, on the streets of Palestine, shared his life with the excluded and excluded of his time. We meet once a month, normally the first Friday, at 8 pm at a place adjacent to the church of Sant'Ignazio. Those who are interested can contact us in these contact details: DEA SANTONICO 338 629 8894 - Dea.santonico@gmail.com
