St Angela Merici — Joyful Obedience and True Family

Today’s readings invite us
to look again at what it means
to belong to God.

Not in name only.
But in heart,
in action,
and in joy.

In the first reading from 2 Samuel,
David brings the Ark of the Covenant
into Jerusalem.

This is no political gesture.
This is worship.

David dances before the Lord
“with all his might.”

He is not performing for the crowd.
He is not protecting his dignity.

He is rejoicing
in God’s presence.

The Ark represents
God dwelling among his people.

And David responds
not with reserve,
but with wholehearted praise.

He offers sacrifice.
He blesses the people.
He distributes bread, meat, and raisins
to everyone.

Joy overflows into generosity.

David shows us
that true worship is never private.
It spills out
into blessing for others.

This joyful obedience
prepares us for the Gospel from Mark.

Jesus is teaching.
The crowd surrounds him.

His mother and his relatives arrive
and send word for him.

This is not disrespect.
But it is a moment of decision.

Jesus looks at those seated around him
and says:

“Who are my mother and my brothers?”

Then he answers:

“Whoever does the will of God
is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus is not rejecting his family.
He is revealing something deeper.

Belonging to God
is not based on blood,
status,
or proximity.

It is based on obedience.

Family is formed
where God’s will is done.

This teaching brings us naturally
to St Angela Merici,
whose feast we celebrate today.

Angela lived in a time
when women had very few recognised roles
in the life of the Church.

She did not found a convent.
She did not withdraw from the world.

Instead,
she gathered women together
to live consecrated lives
in the midst of ordinary society.

They remained in their homes.
They worked.
They served.

Angela trusted
that holiness could grow quietly
through obedience,
daily faithfulness,
and love for God’s will.

Like David,
she did not worry about appearances.
She cared about pleasing God.

Like the disciples around Jesus,
she understood
that doing God’s will
creates a new kind of family.

The Company of St Ursula,
which she founded,
became a spiritual family
committed to prayer,
education,
and service —
especially to young girls.

Angela taught her companions
not to force holiness,
but to live it gently.

“Do now what you can do,”
she said,
“and God will help you do more later.”

That wisdom echoes the Gospel.

Doing the will of God
is not about extraordinary actions.

It is about daily obedience.
Daily trust.
Daily love.

David danced.
Jesus taught.
Angela guided.

Each responded to God
with the whole of their life.

Today’s readings ask us quietly:

What does joyful obedience look like for us?

It may not look dramatic.
It may not be noticed.

But when we choose God’s will
over our own comfort,
we become part of Christ’s family.

When worship leads us to generosity,
when faith leads us to service,
when obedience leads us to joy —
God is dwelling among his people.

May St Angela Merici
intercede for us today,
that we may live faithfully
where we are placed,
do God’s will with love,
and rejoice in belonging
to the family of Christ.