Saturday October 9th: Living the Word

‘…hear the word of God and keep it.’

Lk. 11: 27-28

In today’s Gospel reading Jesus tells us what is the true sign of holiness. When the woman shouts out praises to the mother who bore him and whose breasts he sucked, he retorted that this is not what is most important to him and what we should praise. He answers: ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it.’

This reply of Jesus reminds us of the answer he gave when he was told that his mother and his brothers wanted to speak to him. On that occasion his response was, ‘Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’(Mt. 11: 50)

True holiness for us, therefore, is not even in the greatest of external honours, being Jesus’s mother, but in following the word of God. We know where to find the word of God and it is for us to follow this word as given in his commandment.