Gospel of the day: Luke 11:27-28

[anneramones]

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.”
Why was Jesus a bit rude to Mama Mary? I get this feeling reading this verses, as if he is downplaying his Mother’s figure.
On a catholic site though I read that actually he is honoring Our Lady because he is telling everyone that blessed are the people that observe God’s word just like his Mother did. I don’t know why I still continue to feel like it doesn’t mean it. How do you interpret it?

 

[Fauken]

Why was Jesus a bit rude to Mama Mary? I get this feeling reading this verses, as if he is downplaying his Mother’s figure.

He wasn’t being rude. Mary wasn’t blessed simply because she gave birth to Him: she’s blessed because she lovingly obeyed God’s will. “Let it be done unto me according to thy will.”

 

[anneramones]

Of course she is blessed because of obeying God’s will but wasn’t she blessed also before? She was set apart from everyone else on earth and conceived without sin. When does she becomes blessed exactly?
Thank you

 

[Dan_Defender]

The point Jesus is making here is that it is better to belong to Jesus spiritually rather than by earthly/biological means. Mary is unique as she has both, the biological and spiritual connection to Him.

 

[po18guy]

He was not - that would have violated the 4th Commandment. From the Rev. George Leo Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 28. Menounge, imo vero, yes indeed. Our Saviour does not here wish to deny what the woman had said, but rather to confirm it: indeed how could he deny, as Calvin impiously maintained, that his mother was blessed? By these words, he only wishes to tell his auditors what great advantage they might obtain by attending to his words. For the blessed Virgin, as S. Augustine says, was more happy in having our Saviour in her heart and affections, than in having conceived him in her womb. Tirinus.

 

[GiftofMercy]

Mary could have said no to God. It meant stoning to death to be pregnant on what would have been seen as by not her husband

Mary is blessed for her yes to God and observing His word and law

 

[BT3241]

He simply corrected the woman - why does anyone disagree with what he says?

 

[annad347]

Didn’t Jesus do the same thing in Mark 3:31-35?

Jesus and His Family

31 His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him. 32 A crowd seated around him told him, “Your mother and your brothers [and your sisters] are outside asking for you.” 33 But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?” 34
And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 35 [For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

maybe He just wanted to put the emphasis on what is most important… His message.

 

[anneramones]

Thank you ray:t3:

 

[Divine3]

Hi, it’s wonderful to meditate on the readings before you go to mass. Oh, if only every Catholic would do this with friends, family etc.
I felt like you years ago, but now I see this passage from scripture in a whole different light. I am sure Mary, many times, followed her son to the places he traveled to— she was a widow. I can see Jesus looking towards his Mother with these powerful, loving and knowing eyes as he said those words. There before all the people was the hidden Mother of God, who always treasured the Word of God as a child, as a young girl and finally as the word made flesh. I can almost see Mary’s humble look as Jesus replied.

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

 

[Gorgias]

Why was Jesus a bit rude to Mama Mary? I get this feeling reading this verses, as if he is downplaying his Mother’s figure.

No, He’s not being rude. Keep in mind that, in the cultural context in which He was born, one was a member of the religious group by virtue of his birth – that is, if “the womb that carried you” was Jewish, then you were a Jew, too.

However, Jesus is proclaiming a new Gospel – one in which your belongingness comes not from your heritage, but from the way in which you “hear the Word of God and observe it.”

Jesus is making a profound theological point here: in the New Covenant, it doesn’t matter whether you’re “Jew or Gentile”… all are called to hear the Good News and respond!