Elizabeth proclaimed of Mary: "Blest are you among women and blest is the Fruit of your womb" (Lk 1:42). Mary herself prophesied: "All ages to come shall call me blessed" (Lk 1:48). "While [Jesus] was saying this a woman from the crowd" confirmed Mary's prophecy (Lk 11:27). The woman called out: "Blest is the womb that bore You and the breasts that nursed You" (Lk 11:27). Jesus agreed that His mother was blessed, but not so much for motherhood as for hearing and observing God's Word (Lk 11:28). In that case, we too can be blessed.
You who read this book probably know the Church's teachings, especially the Bible. Because you have heard God's Word, you have the possibility of doing His Word and thereby being blessed. However, our natural tendency is toward passivity and inertia. We tend not to do God's Word. Nonetheless, the Lord is giving us His grace so that we will go beyond our natural tendency and supernaturally do, love, and share God's Word. Those are truly blessed who live in this supernatural dimension of grace to do His Word.
Be like Mary. Live in grace. Do God's Word. Be blessed now, always, and forever.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I not only receive a blessing but live in blessing and be a blessing (see Gn 12:2-3). |
| PROMISE: | "Near is the day of the Lord in the valley of decision." –Jl 4:14 |
| PRAISE: | Helen's lived-out faith inspired the rest of her family. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College