September 19, 2017

Gospel: Lk 7:11-17
A little later, Jesus went to a town called Naim. He was accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. As he reached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; there followed a large crowd of townspeople.
On seeing her, the Lord had pity on her and said, “Don‘t cry.“ Then he came up and touched the stretcher, and the men who carried it stopped. Jesus then said, “Young man, I say to you, wake up!“ And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. A holy fear came over them all, and they praised God saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us. God has visited his people.“ This news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding places.

REFLECTION:
“He was the only son of his mother and she was a widow.“
Did the sight of the woman and her dead son evoke the future scene of Pietá in the mind of Jesus? Perhaps it did, and he felt the pain his widowed mother would undergo when she would lose her only son. Perhaps it was this event of the future that prompted Jesus to reach out to this woman, even without being asked, and raise the son, and give him back to his mother. Was Mother Mary present with his disciples when this event happened? I hope she was, for this would have touched her heart, and when the sword would pierce her heart again at the death of her son, she would have recalled it and found peace and hope.
God, give me a heart like that of your Son that feels the pain of people and respond to it with love.