Over the past few days, we read in the Gospel of Luke, how Jesus gives his disciples the knowledge about the mystery of the Kingdom of God. Through the parables, Jesus challenges them in their mission with two important points.

Firstly, he urges them to "take care how you hear". That is, disciples must be ready and careful to hear what Jesus is saying. They are to do this in order that they may share Jesus' message with others.

Secondly, they must listen to His words and act on them. Discipleship is, therefore, apostolic. It means to be sent out, to act. Upon hearing the word, disciples must act on it.

Hearing the word and acting on the word, are therefore, two actions which are interrelated. A Christian cannot do one without the other. When a Christian fails to hear the word, he or she would eventually fail to act on it. Similarly, when a Christian fails to act on the word, he or she will gradually fail to hear it.

Jesus' encounter with his family gives him the opportunity to stress his message. He reminds his followers that one's relationship to him is not based on blood ties or other earthly connections but through hearing and acting on the word of God. And to him, there is no greater model of one who hears the word and acts on it than his mother, Mary.