LUKE 11:27-28

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that carried You and the breasts at which You nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Blessed is the womb

In Scriptures, women are blessed by their ability to be mothers. A woman who bears many children, especially sons, is honored, while the barren one carries the stigma of childlessness with her, which is also seen as divine punishment.

In contrast to the negative reaction shown by some people to Jesus in the preceding Gospel passage, calling Him an agent of Beelzebul (Lk 11:15-16), a woman calls out to bless Jesus’ mother for having borne so eloquent a preacher-Son. The blessing is an indirect way of paying homage to Jesus Himself. This is reminiscent of a passage from the book of Proverbs (23:24-25): “The father of a just man will exult with glee; He who begets a wise Son will have joy in Him. Let your father and mother have joy; let her who bore You exult.”

While affirming what the woman says, Jesus emphasizes the basis for the real beatitude: Attentiveness to God’s word and living by it. Jesus’ reply is not a negation of His mother’s blessed status, but points to another basis for her beatitude. Luke, in fact, presents Mary as the woman who hears the word of God and observes it. She hears the word of God spoken to her through an angel (1:26-38). She hears it in the events of her life, treasuring them and reflecting on them in her heart (2:19, 51), from Nazareth to Calvary and beyond. And in each instance her response is the same fiat: “Let it be done unto me according to Your word.

SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2010,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph