As we continue in the liturgical season after Pentecost, the Church presents us with the profound readings from Ecclus 24:14-16 and Luke 11:27-28 in the Mass for Saturday. These texts, though drawn from different parts of Scripture, converge on the theme of wisdom, the true source of blessedness, and the unparalleled role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in salvation history.
Ecclesiasticus 24:14-16 — The Wisdom of God Dwelling Among Us
“I was exalted like a cedar in Libanus, and as a cypress tree on Mount Sion. I was exalted like a palm tree in Cades, and as a rose plant in Jericho. As a fair olive tree in the plains, and as a plane tree by the water in the streets, was I exalted. I gave a sweet smell like cinnamon and aromatical balm: I yielded a sweet odor like the best myrrh…” (Ecclus 24:14-16, DR).
This passage from Ecclesiasticus, also known as the Book of Sirach, is part of a larger reflection on Wisdom, personified as dwelling among the people of God. Traditionally, the Church Fathers and spiritual writers saw in these poetic descriptions a reference to the divine Wisdom incarnate in Christ, as well as to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was chosen to be the living tabernacle of the Incarnate Word.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in his homilies on the Blessed Virgin, often connected the grandeur of these descriptions with Mary’s role in salvation. The cedar of Lebanon, with its towering height and strength, reminds us of her exalted status above all creation as the Mother of God. The cypress tree on Mount Sion speaks to her enduring faith and purity, rooted in divine grace. The image of the olive tree represents peace, reminding us of Mary’s role as the Queen of Peace, through whom the Prince of Peace came into the world. Her life is a fragrant offering, as symbolized by the aromatic cinnamon and balm.
In Mary, divine Wisdom found a dwelling place. As St. Athanasius wrote, “He took flesh from the holy Virgin and made it His own, while remaining what He was, God.” Through her, Wisdom became incarnate and dwelt among us, a mystery that the Church ponders with deep veneration.
Luke 11:27-28 — True Blessedness
“And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breasts that nursed Thee. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.” (Luke 11:27-28, DR).
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, a woman from the crowd proclaims the unique blessedness of Mary, exclaiming the honor due to her for having borne and nursed Jesus. Christ, however, expands the definition of blessedness. Rather than dismissing the woman’s words, He redirects the attention to the spiritual depth of what it means to be blessed: hearing and keeping the word of God.
The Church Fathers see in Christ’s response not a rebuke of Mary’s blessedness, but an elevation of her true greatness. St. Augustine comments on this passage, affirming that Mary is indeed blessed both physically and spiritually. He says, “Mary is more blessed in receiving the faith of Christ than in conceiving the flesh of Christ” (Sermo 72/A). In other words, while her physical motherhood of Jesus is an unparalleled grace, her greater glory lies in her perfect obedience to the will of God. Mary is the model of the one who hears and keeps the word of God.
St. Bede the Venerable echoes this interpretation: “She is indeed blessed, who bore in her womb the Word of God; but much more blessed is she who kept the same Word of God in her mind and heart.” Mary’s ‘fiat’ at the Annunciation was the supreme act of hearing and keeping God’s word, an act that continues to reverberate through the ages as a model for all Christians.
Living the Gospel in the Spirit of the Season
As we reflect on these readings in the context of the Saturday after the XV Sunday after Pentecost, we are invited to ponder the nature of true blessedness. In this post-Pentecostal season, the Church calls us to embody the fruits of the Spirit in our daily lives. Like Mary, we are called to hear and keep the word of God, allowing divine Wisdom to dwell within us and bear fruit. The beauty of Wisdom described in Ecclesiasticus should become a reality in our souls, where grace and virtue blossom like the trees of Lebanon or the palm in Cades.
Moreover, as St. Augustine reminds us, we should not only marvel at Mary’s physical maternity but strive to imitate her faith and obedience. The exalted language of Ecclus 24 points to a life transformed by divine grace. We, too, are called to be living tabernacles of God’s presence, vessels of His wisdom and grace in the world.
Let us pray to Our Lady, the Seat of Wisdom, asking her to help us, by her intercession, to receive the Word of God with open hearts and to live according to its demands. May her example lead us to the true blessedness that comes from hearing and keeping the word of her Son.
In this liturgical season, may we, like Mary, be fragrant offerings to the Lord, allowing His grace to shape and perfect us in holiness. Amen.
In this reflection, the richness of Tradition—expressed through the poetic language of Ecclesiasticus and Christ’s teaching in Luke—brings us deeper into the mystery of true blessedness, a path illuminated most perfectly by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself, as understood by the Church Fathers.