how to live the life of blessing
" 'Rather,' He replied, 'blest are they who hear the word of God and keep it.' " —Luke 11:28
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 He [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 it 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: When tempted to be passive about her spiritual life, Lisa prays to her favorite saint and asks for a new commitment to prayer and the reading of God's Word.
Reference: (Is God writing on your heart to read the Bible every day? A tape series that may help you is An Introduction to each Book of the Bible. It is thirty-two audio tapes starting with AV 21-1, Matthew and Mark, or seventeen video tapes starting with V-21.)
Rescript:
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, April 24, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 28, 2003