27TH SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 11:27-28) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Lk 11:28)

FIRST READING - Joel 4:12-21

"Wield the sickle, for the harvest is ripe."

A reading from the Book of Joel

¹² Let the nations rouse themselves and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;

For there I will sit in judgment upon all the neighboring nations.

¹³ Wield the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe;

Come and tread,    

for the wine press is full;

The vats overflow,    

for their crimes are numerous.

^[a]14 Crowds upon crowds    

in the Valley of Decision;

For near is the day of the Lord    

in the Valley of Decision.

¹⁵ Sun and moon are darkened,    

and the stars withhold their brightness,

¹⁶ The Lord roars from Zion,    

and from Jerusalem raises his voice,

The heavens and the earth quake,    

but the Lord will be a shelter for his people,   

 a fortress for the people of Israel.

¹⁷ Then you will know^[b] that I the Lord am your God,    

dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain;

Jerusalem will be holy,    

and strangers will never again travel through her.

^18 [c]On that day the mountains will drip new wine,    

and the hills flow with milk,

All the streams of Judah    

will flow with water.

A spring will rise from the house of the Lord,    

watering the Valley of Shittim.

¹⁹ Egypt will be a waste,    

Edom a desolate wilderness,

Because of violence done to the Judahites,    

because they shed innocent blood in their land.

²⁰ But Judah will be inhabited forever,    

and Jerusalem for all generations.

²¹ I will avenge their blood,    

and I will not acquit the guilt.    

The Lord dwells in Zion.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 11:27-28

"Blessed is the womb that carried you. Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God."

✠From the Gospel according to Luke

²⁷ While he was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” ²⁸ He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

27TH SATURDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Luke 11:27-28)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

The Word of God in today’s Gospel calls on everyone to put listening to, meditating on, and practicing the commandments of God the Father above all other tasks. For He said: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Jesus came into the world as a human to accompany and dwell with humanity, and to bring down the word of God the Father to instruct humanity, which is that humanity must obey and practice the commandments of God the Father. Just like Mary, who listened to and acted upon God's word by saying “yes”, so today, God calls everyone to follow her example: to value listening to and practicing living according to God's commandments; for practicing God's commandments always brings joy, happiness, peace, and eternal life to humanity.

And when someone lives and practices the teachings of God the Father, that person pleases God the Father, and that person will be called a blessed one. Similarly, in today's Gospel, when a woman cried out: “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breast at which you nursed”, Jesus replied: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Therefore, put the word of God the Father above all else, and listen to and practice the teachings of God the Father, following the example of Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, who obeyed God the Father even to the point of willingly accepting death, and the death on the cross.

Thanks be to God. Amen.