“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”
Saturday, 14th October 2017.
Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Joel 3: 12-21
Ps 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12 (R) 12;
Lk 11: 27-28.
Today’s Gospel has a very important significance in the Gospel of Luke. It gives us an insight to understand what Luke teaches regarding Mary, the mother of Jesus. The woman in the crowd who is listening to Jesus puts out her emotions. She shouts out exclaiming how fortunate, how blessed was the mother who gave birth and nurtured to such a man. Apparently the compliment seems to be for the mother of Jesus, but it is for Jesus too!
Jesus responds by praising his mother for something much greater: “More blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it”. For Luke, Mary is the daughter of Sion, image of the new people of God. He presents Mary as the model for the life of the communities. By this we realize that Mary has to be always seen in relationship with Christ and the Church. She is a shining example especially in the way she relates to the word of God. Mary teaches us how to accept the Word of God, how to incarnate it, live it, deepen it, give birth to it and allow it to grow, to take shape within us, even when we do not understand it, or when it makes us suffer. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Prayer: Lord, may I hear you speak to me. May I meet You in my soul and receive Your sacred Word. May I also put that Word into action in my life so as to experience the blessings You have in store for me. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen