Daily Catholic Lectio. Sat, 11 October ’25. Spiritual Relationship

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sat, 11 Oct ‘25

Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday

Joel 3:12–21. Luke 11:27–28

Spiritual Relationship

Today’s Gospel passage is short, but it opens a deep window into Jesus’ understanding of what it means to belong to Him — not merely by birth or family, but by faith and obedience.

As Jesus was teaching, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you!” Her words were simple, sincere, and full of admiration. It was her way of saying, “How blessed is your mother, who brought you into the world and raised you!” It was a beautiful compliment — a mother being praised because of the greatness of her son.

But Jesus gently lifts her praise to a higher level. He does not reject the woman’s admiration or deny His mother’s blessedness. Instead, He redirects the focus: “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.”

Here, Jesus moves the conversation from a physical relationship to a spiritual relationship. He teaches that the deepest connection with Him does not depend on bloodline, background, or family, but on the willingness to listen to God’s Word and live by it.

When the woman praised His mother for giving birth to Him, Jesus might have smiled. But then He used that moment to teach: true blessedness lies not only in giving life to Jesus but in receiving His Word and living it out. By this measure, Mary is indeed the most blessed — not merely because she carried Jesus in her womb, but because she carried the Word of God in her heart. From the moment she said, “Let it be done to me according to your word,” she became the model disciple — the one who hears and obeys.

This scene reveals to us the meaning of spiritual kinship. To be close to Jesus is not a privilege reserved for a few chosen people. Every believer who listens to God’s Word, treasures it, and puts it into action becomes part of Jesus’ family. You and I can be as close to Him as His own mother was — not by nature, but by grace.

In our own lives, we often celebrate visible relationships — parents, children, mentors, friends. But Jesus reminds us that the most enduring relationship is the one rooted in faith. Physical ties may fade; social ties may break; but the spiritual bond between God and a faithful heart remains forever.

The woman in the crowd recognized something divine in Jesus and responded with admiration. Jesus invites her — and us — to move from admiration to participation: not just to admire God’s Word, but to live it. It is one thing to praise goodness when we see it; it is another to let that goodness shape our own actions and attitudes.

The first reading from the prophet Joel describes a time of divine judgment and renewal. God promises to dwell among His people in Zion: “You shall know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy mountain.” The nearness of God is the heart of the covenant — His desire to be among His people, not as a distant ruler but as a loving presence.

In the same way, Jesus reminds us that God wants to dwell not only in temples or cities, but in hearts that listen and obey. To “hear and keep” God’s Word is to make our hearts His dwelling place. Like Mary, we are called to become living tabernacles of God’s presence.

What lessons can we take from this?

(a) Recognize spiritual relationships. True blessedness is not measured by fame, bloodline, or success, but by our relationship with God. Those who love, listen, and live by His Word are God’s family.

(b) Move from admiration to imitation. It is good to praise holiness, but better to live it. Instead of only saying “How blessed is Mary,” we can ask, “How can I, too, become like her — one who hears and keeps God’s Word?”

(c) Let the Word dwell in us. To “keep” God’s Word means to give it room in our thoughts, choices, and habits. When His Word abides in us, we become bearers of His presence in the world.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church beautifully affirms this truth: “By her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to her Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the model of faith and charity” (CCC 967).

Let us not limit our faith to what we can see or touch. Let us enter the deeper bond of spirit — the relationship that begins in listening and matures in obedience. Blessed are we — truly blessed — when we not only hear the Word of God but let it shape who we are.

May our lives become a living “yes” to God’s will,

and may our hearts, like Mary’s, be the dwelling place of His Word.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy