Saturday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 466
Reading 1
Galatians 3:22-29
Brothers and sisters:
Scripture confined all things under the power of sin,
that through faith in Jesus Christ
the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before faith came, we were held in custody under law,
confined for the faith that was to be revealed.
Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (8a) The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
Luke 11:28
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Living a Truly Blessed Life
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.” Luke 11:27–28
This short Gospel reading reveals much about what makes one “blessed” in life. Specifically, Jesus considers those truly blessed who do two things: “hear the word of God” and then “observe it.” Though this seems quite obvious at first read, it is often harder than it seems.
The first step to a blessed life is hearing the Word of God. To “hear” implies that we do much more than become familiar with the Gospels. Hearing means we are not only aware of all that our Lord has revealed, it also means that we have truly internalized it, understanding all that our Lord requires of us.
Have you heard our Lord? It’s important to understand that the Gospel is alive. In other words, becoming familiar with the Word of God is not the same as reading some ancient book of lessons. Rather, hearing the Word of God means we hear a Person: the Son of God, speaking to us and guiding us each step of our lives. God’s Word is something that must speak to us every moment of every day, inspiring us to do this and avoid that. It is accomplished through a lifelong habit of prayerful communion with our Lord through which we are attentive to His voice always.
Hearing the very Person of the Son of God, the Word made flesh, necessarily implies that we also observe all that He speaks to us. In fact, failure to follow His continuous and gentle command to love will result in us being unable to clearly hear Him at all. We will become confused and will easily become directed by the many other voices in our world, unable to discern the glorious path chosen for us by our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon whether or not you struggle in any way with both hearing and observing the voice of God. If this is your struggle, then recommit yourself to a time of humble and wholehearted discovery. Tell our Lord that you are sorry for not being attentive to Him and set yourself on a mission to seek and find Him. Reject the confusion and anxiety of life, reject the many other voices of “wisdom” within our world, and listen for His gentle but clear voice. He is always speaking. He is always calling you. He is always present. Open the eyes of your soul and give Him your full attention. And when you sense Him speaking to you, respond with the utmost generosity and obedience. Doing so will result in you discovering what it means to be truly blessed by our Lord.
Reflection 2
By Fr. Martin Hogan
This morning’s gospel reading is probably one of the shortest in the Lectionary. It is just two verses long. It is a little exchange between Jesus and a nameless woman that is to be found only in the gospel of Luke. Women feature prominently in Luke’s gospel. A woman was so taken by what Jesus was saying that she spontaneously uttered a beatitude, directed at Jesus’ mother. One woman declared another woman blessed because she was the mother of Jesus, this very special human being. Jesus undoubtedly had the highest possible regard for his mother. Yet, he deflects the woman’s beatitude onto a much wider group, ‘Still happier/more blessed those who hear the word of God and keep it’. Of course, Jesus’ mother was a prominent member of that much wider group. She, more than anyone else, heard the word of God and kept it. Jesus is saying that if his mother is blessed, it is not so much because she is his mother but because she gave herself over to the hearing and doing of God’s word, ‘Let it be to be according to your word’. Jesus is also saying that if we give ourselves over to the hearing and doing of God’s word, we will be just as blessed as she is.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Obedience is an infallible guide of spiritual life. Obedience to authority is looked at as our duty. Obedience to equals is seen as courtesy. Obedience to those junior to ourselves is a sign of nobility. Obedience to God’s will is our supreme responsibility. Jesus indirectly, presents Mary as an example of such obedience to God’s word. The woman in the crowd could appreciate Mary’s physical motherhood. But Jesus draws the attention of the crowd to Mary’s spiritual motherhood. Such motherhood includes obedience to God’s will. Mary’s readiness to accept Jesus in her womb was preceded by her willingness to accept him in her heart. In which areas of my life do I find it difficult to obey authority and submit to the will of God?
Prayers
My blessed Lord, You are glorious beyond all things, and You invite me and all Your creatures to share in Your very life. Give me the grace I need to turn from the confusion and deceptions of life so that I will hear only You and respond only to Your voice. I commit myself to Your holy will, dear Lord. As I do, please bestow upon me every blessing You desire to give. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, my heart is restless until it rests in you. Help me to live in your presence and in the knowledge of your great love for me. May I seek to please you in all that I do, say, and think.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 285: Deception as an “Angel of Light”
The evil one hates you with a profound hate. And the closer you draw to God, fulfilling His Divine Will, the more he will seek to attack you. Do not fear the bark of this little dog. One of the most common ways the evil one attempts to deceive you is by presenting himself as an angel of light. He does this by using his natural angelic powers of influence, speaking lies that have a faint resemblance to the truth. He rarely speaks outright with obvious lies since he knows we would immediately identify him as the source. Instead, he seeks to manipulate the truth and lead you into confusion, tempting you to doubt the truths that God has spoken and to doubt the holy Will of God. He may subtly remind you of your past sins and weaknesses while trying to mask the infinite Mercy of God which eliminates those sins and manifests its power through your weakness. He may tempt you to discouragement and despair, removing from your heart the hope you have been given in Christ Jesus. He may tempt you to anger and resentment leading you to believe that you are justified in holding on to these feelings. Whatever the case may be, the evil one is a slippery liar and you must overcome his deceit by turning constantly to the truth of the Mercy of God (See Diary #1405).
Reflect upon the subtle lies that you have allowed yourself to believe. Whatever they are, you will know them by their fruits: sadness, anger, hurt, confusion and the like. Identify these and dismiss them through prayer. Allow the Mercy of the Lord’s Truth to permeate your soul and set you free.
Lord, help me to know the truth and to be set free through this knowledge. Please protect me from the subtle lies and deceptions of the evil one. I rebuke him in Your holy Name and entrust myself to Your protecting Hand. Jesus, I trust in You.
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