Don’t just admire Jesus, Listen to Him

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is something beautiful in the way the woman speaks in today’s Gospel. She looks at Jesus and cries out, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” In other words, she is saying, “What an extraordinary Son. What a blessed mother He must have.” And she is right. But Jesus takes that admiration and turns it into something deeper: “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

That is the challenge for us. It is possible to admire Jesus without really following Him. We can love the idea of Jesus, quote His words, wear a cross, come to Mass, and still keep Him at a safe distance from the parts of our life we do not want Him to touch. Jesus is saying that being blessed is not found simply in being close to holy things. It is found in allowing the Word of God to shape the way we actually live.

We often think holiness is about knowing more, praying more, or feeling more. But Jesus makes it very concrete: hear the Word, and keep it. That means forgiving when we would rather hold on to resentment. It means telling the truth when a lie would be easier. It means showing patience when we are tired, purity when temptation is strong, generosity when we feel like keeping everything for ourselves. The Word of God is not just something to be heard with the ears. It has to travel all the way into our decisions.

There is also something beautiful here about Mary. Jesus is not putting His mother down. In fact, He is revealing why Mary is truly blessed. Not simply because she gave birth to Him, but because she heard the Word of God and said yes to it. “Let it be done to me according to your word.” That is Mary’s greatness. She listened, trusted, and obeyed. Her life became a response to God.

So maybe the question for us today is not, “Do I believe in Jesus?” Most of us would say yes. The deeper question is: What has Jesus said that I am still resisting? What part of the Gospel do I admire but have not yet obeyed? Because the blessed life is not the life that merely applauds Jesus. It is the life that says, “Lord, I have heard You. Now help me live it.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me a heart that does more than admire You. Teach me to listen deeply to Your Word and to obey You when it is easy and when it is hard. Like Mary, help me to say yes to You with my whole life. May Your Word not stop at my ears, but take root in my heart and become visible in the way I live. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko