The woman cried out to Him from the midst of a crowd, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck.” His response, “Rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” Some use this verse to make a claim against the importance of Mary. Such a stance is absurd and misses the point of His response.
After all Elizabeth called Mary blessed on two occasions in the Gospel of Saint Luke. “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” As she would respond in the Canticle of Mary, “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.”
At point of the Annunciation Mary was greeted by the angel Gabriel and told, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Such a response from the angel heralds the importance of this woman that was chosen by God to be the mother of the second person of the Most Holy Trinity. To say such words concerning her is to acknowledge that she is most perfectly filled with the presence of God. There is no room in her for sin and thus we know that she was conceived without sin for she was the perfect vessel that found without blemish to bring forth her Son.
A better translation of the Greek word that is used in English as “rather” would be “indeed.”“Indeed, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” This response affirms what is uttered by the woman in the crowd when it pertains to His mother and invites us into a relationship with her in following such a path that leads one’s life towards conversion to Him. As seen in His words to His mother from the cross, “Woman, behold, your son” and to Saint John, “Behold, your mother.” This exchange invites us to “hear the word of God, and keep it.”
In the words of Saint John Paul II from Redemptoris Mater, “He wishes to divert attention from motherhood understood only as a fleshly bond, in order to direct it toward those mysterious bonds of the spirit which develop from hearing and keeping God’s word.”
Therefore, those who want to make a case against Mary based upon this verse could not be further from the truth. She most perfectly came to follow God and devotion to her draws souls into closer relationship with her Son. His response invites us into a deeper relationship with Him. We too should strive to live our life dedicated unto Him as Mary lived her life in dedication to the Lord.
The motto of Saint John Paul II was “totus tuus” “totally yours” sums this attitude up for us. He understood that becoming a son of the Blessed Virgin Mary would strengthen him as a disciple of Christ. During this Lenten season let us more fervently come to grow in our devotion to Mary and through her be led into deeper union with her Son. Take up the rosary, make a consecration, among other devotions. “Indeed, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.”
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