Moralitates
The Woman's Blessing
A reading from Luke introduces a woman who blesses the mother of Jesus.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke. At that time, a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Jesus: "Blessed is the womb that carried you, and the breasts that you sucked," et reliqua.✦ Homily.
The Stronger One Strips the Enemy
Christ conquers the armed enemy and proclaims victory to the peoples, prompting a woman to bless the womb and breasts that bore him.
When the Lord Jesus had driven out a mute demon by the finger of God, and how — the stronger one coming upon the strong armed enemy of the human race, stripping him of his armor and distributing his spoils — he would conquer and proclaim this to the peoples, so as to call them back to the heavenly joys, desirable and hoped for, which they had lost through the serpent's persuasion by Eve, a woman from the crowd cried out in wonder, saying: "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked."✦✦ As if she were saying: "You are born of a blessed mother, who calls back the exiled children of Eve." And he blessed the womb and the breasts, intimating that this Son of a new mother is the beloved of God.
Eve and Mary, Death and Life
Through woman came death by Eve's consent; through the blessed woman came life, as her breasts nursed the one who feeds all with grace.
And so this exclamation was made through the woman's sex, because the woman, by eating the fruit like Adam and consenting to the devil, was the partner in death, subjecting the human race to the servitude of sin; and conversely, the blessed woman, by pleasing God and nursing him at her own breast, was the helper of life in relieving the human race.✦✦ The breasts too were worthy of praise, which nursed the one who came to feed all people with his grace — people the world, for all its greed, can never satisfy.
Pride Humbled, Fruit Restored
Adam's pride sought godlike knowledge through the woman's fruit, while God humbled himself to be nursed at her breast and restore flesh to the tree.
But let us take note with what presumption the earthly Adam was swollen with pride, when he wanted to be fed by the woman with the fruit, desiring to be made like gods; and with what kindness God humbled himself, so as to become a man and be nursed at a woman's breast.✦ Let us consider Adam, when he received the fruit of the tree stripped bare by the woman; let us look at God, how he received flesh from the woman, restoring it to the tree in place of the fruit that was taken away.✦✦
The Womb That Held Eternity
The Virgin's womb is praised because it enclosed the giver of eternal life, whom the heavens could not contain.
And because the world did not offer an everlasting reward, while he who had been enclosed in his mother's womb was promising eternal life, therefore the womb was worthy of praise, which had shut up within itself the giver of so great a gift; because the glorious Virgin enclosed in her lap one whom the heavens could not contain.
The Church Blesses the Word
The woman who cried out prefigures the Church, which blesses Christ daily by hearing and keeping the word of God.
This woman who cried out can be compared to the Church, which the Lord deigned to call his own bride, for just as this woman blessed him in truth, so the Church blesses him daily in his word, concerning which word he himself said to the woman and likewise to the Church: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it."✦ The Church hears it and proclaims it to be kept, saying: "Now therefore, children, listen to me: blessed are those who keep my ways."✦
Read the original Latin
Leccio sancti ewangelii secundum Lucam In illo tempore extollens vocem quedam mulier de turba dixit ad Iesum: “Beatus venter, qui te portavit, et ubera, que suxisti” et reliqua. Omelia.
Cum Dominus Iesus in digito Dei mutum demonium eiecisset, et quod fortem armatum humani generis inimicum ipse forcior superveniens arma eius auferens et spolia distribuens vinceret, populis predicaret, ut sic eos ad appetenda et speranda gaudia celestia, que suasu serpentino per Evam perdiderant, revocasset, quedam mulier de turba in admiracione extulit vocem dicens: “Beatus venter, qui te portavit, et ubera, que suxisti.” Quasi diceret “ex beata matre natus es, qui revocas exules filios Eve”. Et benedixit ventrem et ubera, insinuans, quod hic nove matris Filius est Deo dilectus. Et ideo per muliebrem sexum facta fuit hec exclamacio, quia mulier Adam primum hominem quasi pomo vescendo dyaboloque consenciendo mortis fuit cooperatrix genus humanum servituti peccati subieciendo, et econverso mulier benedicta Deo complacendo ipsumque lacte suo pascendo fuit vite auxiliatrix in relevando genus humanum. Ubera quoque laude digna erant, que paverunt eum, qui venit omnes pascere sua gracia, quos mundus non potest saciare sua avaricia. Animadvertamus autem, qua temeritate Adam terrenus superbivit, dum a muliere pomo pasci voluit cupiens diis assimilari, et qua benignitate se Deus humiliavit, ut homo fieret et pasceretur lacte mulieris. Consideremus Adam, quando fructum arboris spoliate a muliere recepit, aspiciamus Deum, quomodo a muliere carnem susceptam arbori loco fructus ablati restituit. Et quia mundus non pollicebatur premium sempiternum, et iste, qui clausus fuerat in ventre matris, promittebat vitam eternam, ideo venter laude dignus erat, qui donatorem tanti doni in se clauserat, quia quem celi capere non poterant, Virgo gloriosa suo gremio inclusit.
Ista mulier, que exclamavit, potest assimilari ecclesie, quam dignatus est Dominus vocare sponsam suam, nam sicut hec mulier benedixit eum in veritate, sic ecclesia eum cottidie benedicit in verbo suo, de quo verbo ipse ait mulieri et similiter ecclesie: Beati, qui audiunt verbum Dei et custodiunt illud. Ecclesia autem audit et custodiendum pronuncciat dicens: Nunc ergo, filii, audite me: beati, qui custodiunt vias meas.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Luke.11.27 — And it came about that while he was saying these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you nursed."
- ↩Luke.11.27 — And it came about that while he was saying these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that you nursed."
- ↩Luke.11.28 — But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.'
- ↩Gen.3.6 — And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
- ↩Gen.3.16;1Tim.2.14-1Tim.2.15 — To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children, and your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." 1Tim.2.14 — And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, having been thoroughly deceived, has fallen into transgression. 1Tim.2.15 — Yet she will be saved through childbearing, if they remain in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
- ↩Gen.3.5 — for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
- ↩Gen.2.17;Gen.3.6 — but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day you eat from it you shall surely die. Gen.3.6 — And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise. She took of its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
- ↩1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
- ↩Luke.11.28 — But he said, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.'
- ↩Prov.8.32 — And now, O sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
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