[Salvation]

From: Luke 7:11-17

The Son of the Widow in Nain Restored to Life

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[11] Soon afterwards He (Jesus) went to a city called Nain, and His
disciples and a great crowd went with Him. [12] As He drew near to
the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from
the city was with her. [13] And when the Lord saw her, He had compas-
sion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." [14] And He came and
touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man,
I say to you, arise." [15] And the dead man sat up, and began to speak.
And He gave him to his mother. [16] Fear seized them all; and they
glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and "God
has visited His people!" [17] And this report concerning Him spread
through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

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Commentary:

11-17. "Jesus crosses paths again with a crowd of people. He could
have passed by or waited until they called Him. But He didn't. He
took the initiative, because He was moved by a widow's sorrow. She
had just lost all she had, her son.

"The evangelist explains that Jesus was moved. Perhaps He even
showed signs of it, as when Lazarus died. Christ was not, and is not,
insensitive to the suffering that stems from love. He is pained at seeing
children separated from their parents. He overcomes death so as to
give life, to reunite those who love one another. But at the same time,
He requires that we first admit the pre-eminence of divine love, which
alone can inspire genuine Christian living.

"Christ knows He is surrounded by a crowd which will be awed by the
miracle and will tell the story all over the countryside. But He does
not act artificially, merely to create an effect. Quite simply He is
touched by that woman's suffering and cannot but console her. So He
goes up to her and says, `Do not weep.' It is like saying, `I don't
want to see you crying; I have come on earth to bring joy and peace.'
And then comes the miracle, the sign of the power of Christ who is
God. But first came His compassion, an evident sign of the tenderness
of the heart of Christ the man" ([Blessed] J. Escriva, "Christ Is
Passing By", 166).

15. This mother's joy on being given back her son reminds us of the joy
of our Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of
grace. "The widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man,"
St. Augustine comments. "Our Mother the Church rejoices every day
when people are raised again in spirit. The young man had been dead
physically; the latter, dead spiritually. The young man's death was
mourned visibly; the death of the latter was invisible and unmourned.
He seeks them out Who knew them to be dead; only He can bring
them back to life" ("Sermon", 98, 2).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries".
Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate.
Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University
of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
Reprinted with permission from from Four Courts Press and Scepter
Publishers, the U.S. publishers.

[Salvation]

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd

Mass Readings

First reading

1 Corinthians 12:12 - 31 ©

Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink. Nor is the body to be identified with any one of its many parts. Now you together are Christ’s body; but each of you is a different part of it. In the Church, God has given the first place to apostles, the second to prophets, the third to teachers; after them, miracles, and after them the gift of healing; helpers, good leaders, those with many languages. Are all of them apostles, or all of them prophets, or all of them teachers? Do they all have the gift of miracles, or all have the gift of healing? Do all speak strange languages, and all interpret them? Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.

Psalm or canticle	Psalm 99 (100)
Enter the Temple with joy
Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy. Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock. Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name; for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages.

Gospel

Luke 7:11 - 17 ©

Soon afterwards Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up’. And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people’. And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.

[Nihil Obstat]

As he drew near to the gate of the city,
a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.” And He came and
touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak.
And He gave him to his mother.

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Makes me think of the Sorrowful Mother of Jesus. A little fore-shadowing maybe?