Growing up, my concept of family expanded beyond my wildest dreams. After our parents got divorced, my younger brother and I welcomed into our lives our stepmother and eventually two adopted, bi-racial siblings (a brother and a sister, not related to each other).

While each member of our family has a different experience and perspective, we share a basic belief that we are a family. We’ve learned that love is thicker than blood, and that all are welcome at our table.

Today we are shown that being a part of God’s family means going beyond the boundaries and norms of our time. Jesus doesn’t mean to disparage his mother or brothers who are waiting outside for him; he uses the occasion to teach us that his family includes anyone who answers God’s call.

Reflect on what it means to be part of God’s family. How might we go beyond our comfort zones to reach out to “the other.”

—Jeremy Langford is the director of communications for the Chicago-Detroit Province Jesuits and author of Seeds of Faith: Practices to Grow a Healthy Spiritual Life