A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark.

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and the disciples were unable to even eat a meal. When the kin of Jesus heard of this, they came to take charge of him, for they said, “He has lost his mind.”

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said of Jesus, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out demons through the ruler of demons.” Summoning them, Jesus spoke in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a realm is torn by civil strife, it cannot last. If a household is divided according to loyalties, it will not survive. Similarly, if Satan has suffered mutiny in the ranks and is torn by dissension, the Devil is finished and cannot endure. No attacker can enter a stronghold unless the defender is first put under restraint. Only then can the attacker plunder the stronghold.

“I give you my word, every sin and all the blasphemy the people utter will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will never have forgiveness. They are guilty of an eternal sin.” Jesus spoke all this because they said, “He is possessed by an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ mother, sisters, and brothers arrived and sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting around Jesus, and they said to him, “Your mother, sisters, and brothers are outside looking for you.” Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my kin?” And looking around at everyone
there, Jesus said, “Here are my mother and my kin. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my sister and brother and mother.”

The Good News as spoken through Mark.