Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Saturday in the Twenty-seventh Week of Ordinary Time

LECTIONARY
466

FIRST READING

Gal 3:22-29

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

PSALM

PS 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Response: The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!

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.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

GOSPEL

Lk 11:27-28

As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Daily Reflection

Today’s Gospel is a short exchange between Jesus and a nameless woman, found only in Luke’s writing. This woman was so inspired by what Jesus was saying that she spontaneously uttered a blessing, directed at Jesus’ mother.

Jesus, without doubt, had the highest regard for his mother, yet he redirects the woman’s words to a much wider group, ‘More blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.’ Jesus’ mother was also a significant member of this 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 ‘listening to’ and ‘acting on’ God’s word. Jesus is telling us that if we listen and let our actions ‘speak’ God’s word, we will be just as blessed.

In the first reading, Paul reassures us that we have been justified in Christ; we are now sons and daughters of God through faith. This is all the more reason for us to be attentive to our loving Father.