Blessedness of Mary

Saturday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Joel 4:12-21 & Luke 11: 27 – 28

In today's Gospel, we find the blessedness of Mary being highlighted by a woman and also by Jesus indirectly. Jesus, in saying that "blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it," had referred to His Mother and others too. Mary is indeed the mother of our Savior. She is blessed not so much on account of her blood relationship to Jesus but because of her acceptance of the Word of God and submission to it in her daily life encounters.

She remained faithful to God till the end of her life and fulfilled God's plan for her in ordinary ways of life. In spite of all the odds, she never wavered in her desire to manifest the Will of God in her life. She had to pass through many difficult times which really tested her faith and confidence in God. Her troubles started from the very beginning of her vocation to be Mother of the Savior. The Gospels narrate to us that when Jesus was rejected, condemned, persecuted and finally nailed on the cross, Mary remained close to Him by being faithful to God.

Yes, she is blessed for the role she played, the role of the mother of our Savior who redeemed the world. Just by being a Christian, one is not going to be blessed, but blessing comes when a person lives their life in line with the plan of God for the redemption of humankind, despite one's adverse situations. Mary is a model for each of us to imitate and imbibe her qualities in our lives.

Let us be ready to surrender our whole life to God, as Mary did, for the redemption of humankind.

Joseph Cardozo SJ | Contributor