When I was a child, my father took me into a road trip to visit a small village about an hour away from home. When in there, he drove into a small street with just few houses on it. We stopped in one of them with an open garage and low fences. We suppose to visit some people. In that little house there was a girl almost my age, perhaps a little younger. I thought, how nice, I would have someone to play with. What a wonderful day! Road trip with father and even the chance to play with a new girl. I was always curious of new children.
The girl looked pretty much familiar in her features. Slim, dark brown hair, also thin complexion, maybe her skin a bit more toasted than mine. We looked at each other, but didn't interact immediately, we observed each other first.
Then my dad came and said to me, "daughter, this is your sister". We said hello, we shake hands, and we started playing right away. Everything felt so natural, actually. I think it was more odd for the adults than for us, because If my father said she was my sister, it was enough for me.
We liked each other immediately and we felt the short time we got to interact seemed too short indeed, because we went back home very soon after the meeting. We were around six years old. My sister and I lived such far away, complete separated lives. We met again twelve years after this first remarkable encounter, by chance in the street, and we recognized in a glance. We hardly see each other still, but we are sisters, and we love each other very much.
Now, many years from that episode, I reflect over it and I can not stop thinking what Jesus said to his mother and his disciple in the Cross before dying: “Woman,here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”(John 26-27). Jesus said so, it should be enough for us to take her as our Mother. Love her and praise her.
Equally with our other brothers and sisters in the faith. Even those who doesn't share the same faith than us, because after all, we believe, we all are brothers and sisters in Christ. The duty of love one another was given to me, to each one of us by Him, God himself in the person of Christ.
I also remember in the school, when I was about fourth grade that I learned from our teacher "we are brothers and sisters in Christ" and the whole class burst in laughter, looking at each other faces as if e were trying to find some kind of physical resemblances. Or saying, neh! You are too ugly! But later after the idea sank in, we instead started hugging and shaking hands.
We were joking and began to call each other bro and sis so much, that the teacher had to make us relax. We, of course, were happy to know that your best friend was also your sister and how great it would be living all together in the same house.
So it is that, when Jesus says we are brothers and sisters in Him, I believe Him, because God doesn't lie.
Many years now, I also think I understand that the house we live in, all together, is that mystical body of Christ, the church and then, when the time comes, we will all live together in the mansion He has prepared for us in heaven.