Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.

13 OCTOBER (Lk 11,27-28)

In the Old Testament blessed is he who lives a special relationship of grace, truth, salvation, justice, forgiveness, comfort, help with his God. Blessed are those who enjoy the benevolence of their God and Lord. God is the blessing of a man.

How fortunate you are, O Israel! Where else is a nation victorious in the Lord? The Lord is your saving shield, and his sword is your glory. Your enemies fawn upon you, as you stride upon their heights”(Dt 33, 29). How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! (Psalm 1, 1). How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! (Psalm 32, 1). How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! (Psalm 32, 2). O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34, 8). How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. (Psalm 40, 3). How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. (Psalm 41, 1). How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. (Psalm 84, 4). O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! (Psalm 84, 12). How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance (Psalm 89, 15). Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD, And whom You teach out of Your law; (Psalm 94, 12). Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. (Psalm 112, 1). How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD (Psalm 119, 1). How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart (Psalm 119, 2). How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. (Psalm 128, 1). Happy the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding! (Pr 3, 13). He sins who despises the hungry; but happy is he who is kind to the poor! (Pr 14, 21). He who plans a thing will be successful; happy is he who trusts in the Lord! (Pr 16, 20). Without prophecy the people become demoralized; but happy is he who keeps the law (Pr 29, 18). Happy the man whose mouth brings him no grief, who is not stung by remorse for sin (Sir 14, 1). Happy the man who meditates on wisdom, and reflects on knowledge (Sir 14, 20).

Today, Jesus is proclaimed blessed not because of his particular relationship with his heavenly Father, not for the unique and singular relationship he lives with the Holy Spirit; but because he had a mother who has been able to breed. A mother gives a concrete milk. It is God the one who gives the milk of the Holy Spirit, in which there is every substance of truth, love, hope, strength, wisdom, intelligence, operational power, and all other divine gifts.

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.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Jesus never let himself be fooled by false judgments or the evaluations of men. He always brought his life and that of his listeners into the purest heavenly truth. A man is not blessed because he is born in a family rather than in another, and not because it is raised in one way rather than another. Human relationships give no bliss. No man is happy because he is rich, because he is a scientist, because he is a doctor, because he is powerful, because he is a tyrant, because he is a manager, and because he is and influential person. Never might from the earth rise any blessing for man. Only misery and death, poverty and loneliness, vanity and sin, vice and lust; rise from the earth.

Every man is blessed for one reason only: because he hears the Word of God and observe it. Now since everyone can hear the Word of God and everyone can observe it, everyone can be blessed on earth and in heaven, in time and eternity. The true happiness of a man, his true blessing is the Lord. It is the Lord in our obedience to his every Word. He who obeys is always blessed. Never might who does not obey proclaim himself blessed. Without obedience, even if one claims to be blessed on earth, this blessing is a poisoned chalice. It is tasted for a moment, but then the venom in it causes our eternal death. The rich man thought himself blessed, because he ate and drank plentifully. He dressed in purple and fine linen. But then he found himself naked in eternity, hungry and thirsty, with no remedy.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints obtain for us the true blessing.