Saturday. October 11, 2003
27th Week in Ordinary Time

1st Reading: Jl 4:12-21
Gospel: Lk 11:27-28

As Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to him, "Blessed is the one who bore you and nursed you!" Jesus replied, "Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well."

Commentary

"Surely blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it as well" Jesus just performed a miracle by driving away evil spirit and a woman in the crowd shouted: "Blessed is the one who bore you, and nursed you." Mary is indeed blessed because she was chosen to be the mother of Jesus. She conceived Jesus in her womb and nursed him. Yet for Jesus, there is something more and greater than biological relations. It is the new family based not on flesh and blood but on the word of God. The relations of the early disciples, the relations within the church, the relations within religious orders and congregations are all based on the word of God. If there are problems within the life of the church, then they should spend more time listening to the Word of God and keeping it.

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