MOTHER OF JESUS BEING PRAISED – OCTOBER 9TH SATURDAY (Lk 11: 27-28)

1. A woman in the audience interrupted. She pronounced a blessing on Jesus’ mother for bringing him into the world so he could do all the good he was doing. Jesus turns his attention from his mother and the woman who may have expected some blessing. He focuses the attention not on the physical family but on those who inhabit God’s kingdom.

2. How many women have blessed the holy Virgin, and desired to be such a mother as she was of what hinders them? Christ has made for us a wide way of this happiness and not only women, but men may tread it- the way of obedience; this is what makes such a mother not much the pain of giving birth. The prediction in Magnificat is already being fulfilled here.

3. There is something even more blessed than the earthly relationships to which she was alluding and to that something all, if they pleased might attain.

4. Something very impressive is present in Jesus, but to be impressed is not enough. What counts is committed response to the message that Jesus brings.

5. We should never think that Jesus is putting down our Blessed Mother, rather he is throwing open the invitation for all the mankind to partake in the blessing our Blessed Mother received. Had the woman said these words to Mary, I am sure she would have shed the tears of joy. What more a mother expects from her son?

In Thirukural, the great Tamil Poet Thiruvalluvar has this to say, the joy a mother experiences when she hears from someone praising her son/daughter on account of their wisdom and exemplary life, is much more than the joy she experiences at the moment of her giving birth to the same son/daughter. I remember a few months ago, when someone came and told me these same words after my short talk in a Retreat centre, I was overjoyed and immediately told my Mom about it too. But what made me to think was, it is much easier to get praises and appreciations from people on account of our teaching skills, preaching skills, talents etc but what ultimately counts is whether we can make people to say these same words seeing our personal lives.

Courtesy
The Holman’s Commentary
The Interpretation of St. Luke