Fourth Tuesday of Easter – Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30
They did not retreat into fear. Scattered into hard and painful places, they still proclaimed the Good News, without bitterness, without complaint, and without losing hope in the face of danger or persecution. Christianity is not for grumblers or for those who trust more in bad news than in the Lord who is always good.
Mary, the first disciple, shows us what it truly means to follow Christ. Her faith was an act of love and surrender, freely offered, even as it was first awakened by God. There is mystery here, as there is in every meeting between grace and human freedom. And this is her true greatness, confirmed by Jesus Himself: “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you!” (Lk 11:27).
One woman praises Mary for giving birth to Jesus. Elizabeth praises her because she believed. And Jesus brings the blessing to its fullness: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk 11:28).
In that, Christ reveals the heart of Mary’s greatness. She is the one who kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Lk 2:19).
Lord, how good it is that You place messengers on our path, patient and gentle, helping us to hear Your word and live it out. Teach us to trust You more deeply.
Jesus, Good Shepherd, keep me faithful to You, held safely in Your divine hands. Let Your love lift me up.
