In this section you can find a daily commentary on the Gospel of the Day.

Saturday 12 October 2024

Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Word for today
The Gospel of Luke 11:27-28

The most precious

It is literally written: Rather blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it [Greek: phylàsso]. The official translation translates the verb phylàsso with “observe”, but actually means,  “I am guarding; being on guard, I am being careful, keeping watch, overseeing, protecting, defending”. The denominative verb from fylax, “sentinel, guard, watcher, guardian, defender, observer”, indicates the act of guarding to protect a house, a palace, boundaries, a territory. Etimologically it originates from akkadian palasu, “keeping watch, overseeing”, and palilu, “guardian”, achu, “side, boundary; body guard”.
Jesus affirms that the true beatitude, that is the real source of man's happiness, does not reside in doing something special, prestigious, important, or unique, in this case not even given brith to the Messiah, but in listening to the life procedures found in the Word of God and knowing how to guard, defend, and protect them in one's heart as life's greatest, most extraordinary gift, wealth and resource. The procedures inscribed in  the word of God are the greatest and most precious gift because they are the only possibility for man to escape ignorance, slavery, fear, sadness and starvation.
Over the centuries man has learned to protect his own family, his own material assets, his nations' boundaries, money, prestige, reputation, belongings, and all wealth and power, but he has not learned to guard and protect mankind's most absolute precious gift, that is the procedures to be happy, to live in well-being, health, in harmony and in peace, the procedures, in other words, which are present in the Gospel. The term Gospel means joyful proclamation, good news, happy message because the Gospel is the collection of the tecniques and the essential systems to live in peace; it explains in a precise sequence all the processes, procedures, and methods to live in well-being, healthy and happy, strong and fulfilled. If mankind still considers being happy an important objective, there is nothing more practical to follow on the face of the planet than the Gospel.
Jesus would be happy if man would be so smart/astute as to guard the procedures of the Gospel in his heart,  trying to fulfil them with all of his strength and not in the name of belonging to a religion or a faith, but in the name of our own radiant happiness.