Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it

Joel 4:12-21, Lk. 11:27-28. In today's first reading, Joel announces a severe judgment against the nations, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat - ”Yahweh judges.” Even if such symbols are not to be taken literally, they are to be taken seriously. As blood is seen as the locus of life (Cf. Lev. 17:11), Joel warns that the life of all the created universe must be re-consecrated to God in the valley of decision. Today, we are challenged to rethink our entire existence and evaluate our loyalty to our family, country, race and even our Church, if the Lord is to be our refuge and our stronghold. We reconsider our relationship with foreigners and with our business, employment and government, possibly what is meant by the references to Egypt, Edom and Judah. In all of these rich symbolic expressions, Joel bids us to have a rethink of the heart and source of all our relationships.

Today's Gospel seems to have in mind Simeon’s prophecy to Mary that her heart would be “pierced with a sword.” A woman in the crowd is deeply impressed with Jesus and His ability to hold the crowd’s attention with His healing and story telling. She does the most natural thing in the world: she thinks how proud His Mother must be to have raised a child to become such a man and she congratulates the child by blessing the Mother with a beatitude: “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” When Jesus answered: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it," it may sound at first as if He is deflecting the compliment to His Mother by using it to make His point, as if He has said that anyone who does God’s will is greater than His Mother. While Jesus had the highest regard for His Mother, He transferred this word of praise to a much wider group. Even happier and more blessed than His own other are those who hear the word of God and keep it, he says. The Mother of Jesus belonged to that wider group. She, more than anyone else, heard the word of God and kept it. Mary’s blessedness is due especially to giving herself over to hearing and doing God’s word. To that word, her lifelong answer was, “Let it be to be according to your word.” If, like her, we devote ourselves to hearing and doing God’s word, we will be blessed just as she is.

May the Lord help us to grow in our awareness of God’s great love for us and seek to deepen our relationship with Him! Amen!! Good morning and happy weekend!!!