Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saturday of week 27 in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Luke 11:27-28In today’s brief Gospel, a woman in the crowd praises the mother of Jesus: “Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!” Jesus responds: “More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” These words do not diminish the greatness of Mary; rather, they reveal the deepest reason for her blessedness. Mary is blessed not only because she gave birth to Jesus, but because she first welcomed the Word of God into her heart and allowed it to shape her entire existence. Before conceiving the Word made flesh in her womb, she had already received Him through faith and obedience. What truly matters in our relationship with God is our relationship with His Word. We may be close to holy places, participate in religious celebrations, fulfil important responsibilities in the Church, possess theological knowledge, or even accomplish great things in the name of Christ. Yet none of these can replace the essential question: What place does the Word of God occupy in my heart and in my daily life? Mary teaches us that hearing the Word is more than listening, and keeping it is more than remembering. It means allowing God’s Word to enter our decisions, transform our attitudes, purify our intentions, and guide our actions. She kept the Word even when she did not fully understand it, from the Annunciation to Calvary, remaining faithful through joy, uncertainty, and suffering. The Word of God becomes fruitful in us not simply when we know it, but when we allow it to become the principle by which we live. The message of Christ reminds us that holiness is not measured primarily by our position, achievements, or external closeness to sacred things, but by the depth of our openness and fidelity to God’s Word. Like Mary, we become truly blessed when the Word we hear becomes the life we live. Let’s reflect: Is my relationship with the Word of God merely one of listening, reading, and knowing, or am I allowing it, like Mary, to enter my heart so deeply that it transforms the way I think, choose, love, and live?
Don Giorgio