Luke 11:27-28 NRSVue
27While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”
Reflection on Luke 11:27-28
Inspiration from 2026-10-10 Daily Prayer
Let’s spend a little time today with Mary, the mother of God, the one who was closest to him and, as St. Ignatius of Loyola regularly reminded us, can and will intercede for us more effectively than anyone else. We are constantly beseeching you during the ‘Prayers of the Faithful’ with all sorts of supplications, and we want you to know how very grateful we are for the many good things and results you have facilitated.
Further reflection
What do I make of Jesus' reaction here? He risks being blunt with the woman in the crowd and dismissive of his mother.
What is he getting at? What does he really want to say?
What does it say to me?
Here is an encounter with a woman who is attracted, adoring, and envious of Jesus' mother. He responds unexpectedly, not downgrading Mary, but pointing to the source of her blessedness, as her cousin Elizabeth did at the Visitation: Blessed is she who believed in the Lord's promise.
There is an echo here of Mary's Magnificat: Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Luke points to Mary as the one who pondered God's words (hesitating at the Annunciation), kept them in her heart and reflected back on them when she went down to Nazareth.