Jesus always has a surprise coming for those who follow Him. In the Gospel today, they thought they had already grasped fully the person of Jesus by praising the womb that carried Him. But Jesus would always raise it to the highest level. Not that He disregarded the praise given to His mother, but He wanted His disciples to realize that blessedness is not determined by biological relations.
“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and live it.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus enumerated who are blessed. The common idea of being blessed is to possess riches, power, authority and other things that are treasured in this world. Unfortunate is one who is wanting of those things. But the Lord Jesus corrects that idea. To be blessed is to be a listener and follower of the Word of God. The blessedness is not in one’s status but in how it is lived. If you are poor because of your faithfulness to God (not wanting to acquire riches by stealing, deceiving, or killing), you are blessed. Just the same, if you are rich, happy, free and popular, you can be blessed if you attained your status as a result of living your faith well.
Therefore, we cannot simply be comfortable with the sacraments we receive. Together with those sacraments are the graces that will help us become sanctified — the tasks to live them. One who receives the forgiveness of God in the sacrament of reconciliation must try hard not to sin anymore and prove to God that he is worthy of forgiveness. A participant in the Eucharist must be aware of the presence of Christ in his life when he receives the Lord in communion. The sacrament of marriage makes the couple a witness to the love of Jesus for the Church and vice versa. Depending on the graces of the sacraments, the baptized Christian is expected to live them and not just be contented with having received them, and await them to magically transform him. Let us live up to being called Christians (followers of Christ). Following Him can only happen when we have heard, understood and lived His Word. No matter how difficult it can be at times, our best move is still to follow it. And in doing so, we will be in the best of hands — the hands of God. Fr. Benny Tuazon
Reflection Question:
How much do you trust God especially in difficult situations? Do you rely on His Word? Do you see yourself in His good hands?
I thank You, Lord, for keeping me in the palm of Your hands. Guide me thay I may be worthy to be called Your follower. Amen.
St. Louis Bertrand, pray for us.
Source: Today's Gospel Reflections c/o KerygmaFamily at http://kerygmafamily.com/
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