Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel passage is one of the shortest in the entire Lectionary for Mass. And yet, in just a few words, these two verses carry a message of great importance. The crowd, amazed at Jesus’ cures and display of divine power, cry out in praise of his mother: “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed” (Lk 11:27). Jesus’ response may at first glance take us by surprise: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Lk 11:28). Jesus was in no way minimizing the sanctity of Mary or the importance of her role as his mother. Rather, his words emphasize the fact that true blessedness is not derived just from a physical relationship (being the mother or cousin of Jesus) but from a spiritual response—hearing the word of God and obeying it. Mary is in fact the ideal disciple, the very model of one who heard God’s word and kept it. In the first chapter of Luke’s gospel, we heard Mary’s self-sacrificial response to the angel Gabriel: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38).
From Mary we learn the humble reception of the Word into her heart, into her life, into her womb: “May it be done to me according to your word.” God’s Word calls forth a response in our lives. It calls for our “Yes.” And it is a “yes” that requires a humble and receptive heart, open to doing God’s will. To do this, we must let go of self and place total trust in the Lord.
Throughout the gospels we hear that “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Lk 2:19 and 51). One of the ways we can follow her example is through the regular practice of lectio divina—that prayerful reading of the scriptures. We read the Word of God slowly and carefully, taking in we have read, and after having “chewed” upon it (like a cow upon its cud, to borrow an earthy image from the Fathers of the Church), we allow it to become a part of us (like food), letting it touch all areas of our lives and changing our behavior.
Our relationship with Jesus is ultimately based not on how much knowledge we acquire about him, but rather, in our having heard his word, taken it in and made it a part of ourselves. True discipleship is about having conformed our lives to his and making the decision to follow in his footsteps each day.
Reflection by Br. Michael Marcotte, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections