27th week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, October 14,2006

Galatians 3:22-29. Psalm 105: 2-7. Luke 11:27-28

I usually have written the first draft of these reflections in a journal and then improve on them at my office at Alumni Hall on the campus of the University of Dayton. I remembered that after having finished my writing with a green pen, I wanted to see how often Luke uses the word for beatitude or "blessed". I needed to consult a tool I have at this office, so, please, hold on while I do this little bit of interesting word study. Here is what I found: First, Luke is the Evangelist who uses the word the most despite the fact that Matthew has eight or even nine beatitudes in his Sermon on the Mount. The word is used some fifty times in the N.T. and about one hundred times in the Old Testament. I bring this up, for it is key toward the interpretation of Luke's passage today which has Jesus giving his mother an accolade by calling her Blessed. We Catholics have a corner on the market in our calling her most often "The Blessed Virgin Mary" or "The Blessed Mother." In Luke this word for blessed is used fifteen times out of the fifty in the New Testament. This makes me think of Mary as a Beatitude in person, in action, and in her words. "For all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48 see also 1:45). Luke also uses the verb form for blessing more often than the other Evangelists put together. So we see that Luke is presenting a portrait of a blessed, that is happy, joyous, and fortunate woman when he speaks of Mary in relationship to her Son. We Catholics are right on when we call her Blessed Mother and Blessed Virgin for the Scriptures support this when referring to Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of Jesus.

Jesus is praising his mother who listens and hears the word of God and then keeps or does this word of God. Had she not brought the Word of God into the world? Beginnings are important and maybe the most important line in the Bible is "And the Word became flesh (Mary's) and dwelt among us." (John 1:14). Rudlolf Bultmann once said this verse alone as Scripture would be enough for the foundation of Christianity. Mary herself is said to have pondered over the words of the angel and of her son. Not only that, she did the will of God and met all the criteria demanded for discipleship in St. Luke's Gospel. She can be our model for our own pondering over the word of God and then doing the will of God after such pondering. We all can learn God's will through studying, praying, and behaving as the Scriptures prompt us to do. God's laws, commandments, and precepts are part of this doing of the will of God. Our ordinary duties and actions can be moments for doing God's will. Recollection, prayer, and attention are necessary but available to us. Like Mary we are called to be intentional people inspired like St. Paul and Mary herself. Pondering over should lead to intentionality in what we say and do in the light of the Scriptures we have meditated upon.

Now let me return to the first reading from Paul to the Galatians. Paul is speaking about faith in Jesus Christ as what has been his grace and his calling. This faith becomes the heart of his commitment and his active ministry among the Gentiles, our own ancestors as Christians. He also calls all peoples to this faith in Jesus when he says, "there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:28-29). In the light of Vatican II, I see the need for nuancing these strong words of Paul in relationship to other religions. We are to respect these religions who also have Father Abraham as the origin of their beliefs. ( See the document of Vatican II called The Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Vatican II, Nostra Aetate, Oct. 28, 1965).

Both readings are very helpful for reflection this day.