Posted by The WORD in other words (2012) by Sister Maria Melanie SSpS
Tuesday 25th Week in Ordinary Time
Every one of us desires a special relationship with someone important. How much more do we desire a close relationship with Jesus, the Son of God? The Gospel offers us a simple yet demanding formula for establishing that relationship. When a woman praised His mother, Jesus replied: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28). In another passage, He declares: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21).
To hear God’s Word and put it into practice is not always easy.
When I was nineteen years old and enjoying college life in Manila, I found myself increasingly drawn to God. Despite my own plans and desires, I felt a growing call to religious life. The experience troubled me deeply. It was not an easy decision. After a long interior struggle, however, I became convinced that God was calling me to become a missionary.
When I finally shared my plans with my mother, she reacted emotionally and resisted the idea. Understandably, she found it difficult to imagine her child leaving home to enter the convent. In my effort to help her understand, I reflected with her on the Gospel message: true closeness to Jesus is found in listening to God’s Word and responding generously to it. Because she was a deeply religious woman, she eventually accepted God’s will and gave me permission to follow my vocation.
Looking back, I realize that discipleship is precisely this: allowing God’s Word to shape our decisions, direct our path, and transform our lives. Like Mary, who responded, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), we are called not merely to hear God’s voice but to trust it and follow where it leads.
Indeed, those who listen to God’s Word and live it become members of His family, bound not by blood but by faith and obedience. As St. James reminds us: “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
Prayer
God of relationships, God of my life, You have given us life and enabled us to establish meaningful relationships with You and with every person we encounter. Your Word gives meaning and direction to our lives. Help us to be attentive to Your voice and faithful to Your teachings each day. Grant us the courage to follow wherever You lead, and the grace to live as true members of Your family by hearing Your Word and putting it into practice. We ask this today and every day through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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