To Hear the Word and Keep It. Saturday 27th Week Ordinary Time

By Sanctus Mario Last updated Oct 9, 2021 958 5

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To hear the word and keep it often seems very challenging. Hearing the word has since become a daily routine and activity for all of us. Today there are thousands of churches that litter all over the country.

There is never a day, we do not hear or listen to the word of God but where the challenge lies is to hear and keep the word.

The word of God teaches forgiveness, peace, love, faith even in difficulties, hope in God, power of prayers, the need to work hard, eternity etc. In the word, we have the food for life here and hereafter. But many times we neglect the word thinking it is irrelevant. Today, Jesus says that he who keeps the word is already blessed.

In the Gospel

In the gospel of today, as Jesus was speaking to the crowd, a woman raised her voice and proclaimed blessings to the womb that gave birth to Him and breastfed Him, but Jesus replies that those who hear the word and live on it are more blessed.

The woman who raised her voice must be inspired and touched by the wisdom that comes from the Lord. She must have said this out of the love of what Jesus was saying. That woman was truly inspired. She could not hold her admiration any longer. She has to voice out.

The wisdom that Jesus exhibits inspired her to proclaim a blessing even to His mother. And truly the Mother of Jesus is full of blessing.

Therefore, when we spend time listening to Jesus through the word, we begin to develop this love, hunger, desire and eagerness for His word. When you develop the time for the word of God, it becomes part of you. Then, in you will be this hunger and eagerness to proclaim Him to the world.

When you develop the love for the word of God, you will always have this motivation to make it part of your daily life.

In this gospel, it is not that Jesus is detesting His mother but Jesus emphasizes how important it is when we keep His word.

Therefore, to hear the word and keep it is more significant to Jesus than any other thing. It is more important than mere belonging to organizations and more important than being a mere churchgoer.

Secondly, In this statement today, Jesus invariably extols his mother. Virgin Mary said yes to the angel. She received the message from the angel and kept to it.

Virgin Mary also bears the word incarnate in her womb and gave the Word incarnate to the world. And Elizabeth proclaims a blessing on her that blessed is she who believed that God’s promise will come to fulfillment (Luke 1:45). So, we can see a direct link between what Elizabeth said about the Virgin Mary and what this woman said today.

The Virgin Mary is more blessed by totally living her life in total obedience to the word. So, despite how close we are to the Lord, what is more, important is to hear the word and keep it.