Reflect today on listening and observation and if you let yourself be involved in Jesus

While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd cried out and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that you nursed." He replied, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." Luke 11: 27-28

Do you hear the Word of God? And if you feel it, do you watch it? If so, then you can consider yourself among those who are truly blessed by our Lord.

Interestingly, the woman speaking to Jesus in this passage was honoring His mother by saying she was blessed for carrying and feeding him. But Jesus honors his mother to an even greater degree by stating what he does. He honors her and calls her blessed because she, more than anyone else, listens to the Word of God and observes it perfectly.

Listening and doing are two very different things. They both take a lot of effort in the spiritual life. First of all, hearing the Word of God is not simply an audible hearing or reading from the Bible. "Hearing" in this case means that God has communicated to our souls. It means that we are involving a person, Jesus himself, and we are allowing him to communicate to us whatever he wishes to communicate.

While it may be difficult to hear Jesus speak and internalize what He says, it is even more difficult to let His Word change us to the point where we live what He said. So often we can have very good intentions but fail to get the action done by living God's Word.

Reflect, today, on listening and observing. Start by listening and reflect on whether or not you get involved with Jesus every day. From there, reflect on whether you are living what you know he said. Get back into this process and you will find that you are truly blessed too!

Lord, I can hear you talking to me. May I meet you in my soul and receive your sacred Word. May I also apply that Word in my life so that I experience the blessings you have in store for me. Jesus I believe in you.