Elizabeth, the cousin of the Virgin Mary, said to her the following in Luke 1:42:
Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Why was the Virgin Mary called blessed? Today's Gospel Reading in the Divine Liturgy tells us why in Luke 11:27-28 which states:
While Jesus 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."
The Virgin Mary heard the Word of God from the Angel Gabriel and what was her response? Luke 1:38 tells us:
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.
It wasn't the Virgin Mary's womb which was blessed, nor the breasts at which Jesus had nursed while an infant; rather, it was the Virgin Mary Herself Who is blessed because She heard God's Word and observed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment