Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 90
Lectionary: 90
Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow.
The son of the mistress of the house fell sick,
and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
So she said to Elijah,
“Why have you done this to me, O man of God?
Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt
and to kill my son?”
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.
Elijah called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying
by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times
and called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah;
the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived.
Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house
from the upper room and gave him to his mother.
Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah,
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
The son of the mistress of the house fell sick,
and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing.
So she said to Elijah,
“Why have you done this to me, O man of God?
Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt
and to kill my son?”
Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.
Elijah called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying
by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times
and called out to the LORD:
“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah;
the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived.
Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house
from the upper room and gave him to his mother.
Elijah said to her, “See! Your son is alive.”
The woman replied to Elijah,
“Now indeed I know that you are a man of God.
The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
Responsorial
PsalmPS 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13
R. (2a) I will
praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the nether world;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Reading 2GAL 1:11-14A, 15AC, 16A, 17, 19
I want you to know, brothers and sisters,
that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race.
But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to talk with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism,
how I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure
and tried to destroy it, and progressed in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my race.
But when God, who from my mother’s womb had set me apart
was pleased to reveal his Son to me,
so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem
to talk with Cephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
But I did not see any other of the Apostles,
only James the brother of the Lord.
AlleluiaLK 7:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A great prophet has risen in our midst
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has risen in our midst
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
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.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, crying out
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, “
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
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.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, crying out
“A great prophet has arisen in our midst, “
and “God has visited his people.”
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
10th
Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 1 Kings 17:17-24
We are all familiar with the story of the 32-year drought which God brought upon the land during the reign of King Ahab; a drought which was predicted (prophesied) by Elijah. And how, during the drought, Elijah went to Zarephtah where he encountered the widow and her son, the widow having only a handful of flour and little oil in her jug; how, upon assurances from Elijah that God would provide, she shared her meager food with him and the jar of flour and the jug of oil sustained the three of them for a year. Our reading for today comes from this account; it’s, as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story.”
17 [T]he son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing. 18 So she said to Elijah, “Why have you done this to me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?”
The widow interprets her son’s death as a punishment for her sins, the existence of which have been brought to God’s attention by the presence of the “man of God” in her home. This mentality of punishment for sins prevailed even into New Testament times (see John 9:2).
19 “Give me your son,” Elijah said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
This same procedure is used by Saint Paul in Acts 20:9-10 to restore the life of the young man, Eutychus. The prophet Elisha also employs a similar rite of resuscitation in 2 Kings 4:34-35.
22 The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived. 23 Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “See!” Elijah said to her, “your son is alive.” 24 “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God,” the woman replied to Elijah. “The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
2nd Reading - Galatians 1:11-19
Last week (9th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C) we looked a bit into the background of what caused Saint Paul to write this letter to the Galatians. He has been accused of not being a true apostle by Judaizers who are attempting to undermine his authority to teach the gospel. Saint Paul defends his position as an apostle by stressing the new-found freedom which a Christian possesses as compared to the Law of Moses. This week we continue with Saint Paul’s defense.
11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Saint Paul affirms that what he preaches, the gospel message that salvation is possible for all men alike through faith in Christ, is the message which he received from Jesus directly and that he is simply passing it along. This revelation occurred on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:5).
“The gospel that is according to men is a lie, for every person is a liar (see Romans 3:4), seeing that whatever truth is found in a man is not from the man but through the man from God” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 394), Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1B,1,11-12].
13 For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of
God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,
This former way of life would hardly provide the proper background for him to have formed the gospel message on his own. In fact, as a Pharisee he resolutely rejected what was opposed to the Mosaic Law and the Pharisaic interpretations of the written Torah. As a Pharisee he looked upon the “church of God” as being the assembly of the People of God in the desert; now he uses the term as a complimentary title for the Jewish-Christian churches in Jerusalem and Judea.
14 and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
“What he is saying is, ‘If what I then did against the Church was done not on man’s account but through zeal for God – mistaken, but zeal nonetheless – how can I now be acting for vainglory when I operate on behalf of the Church and know the truth?’” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians 1,14].
15 But when (God), who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace,
Here he compares his calling to that of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) (see 1st reading, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C). He also has been destined for the apostolate by a gratuitous call from the Father before he was born.
was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
Saint Paul states that he has “seen” Jesus directly and is therefore legitimately an apostle. He couples his apostolic mission to the Gentiles with the revelation of Christ.
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
This emphatic denial of the human origin of his commission is explained by the chronological and geographic details which accompany it. His basic insight into Christ did not come from Jerusalem, the traditional center from which the “word of the Lord” went forth to men (see Isaiah 2:3 and Luke 24:49). Although the Twelve were apostles before him, and he is the “least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9), he is not an apostle of second rank.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
The term “Kephas” is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic kepha which means “rock.” Saint Paul no doubt went to confer with Saint Peter for the purpose of inquiry, to get from him information about Jesus’ teaching and ministry. It was probably during this 15-day period that he learned of the “traditions” of the Jerusalem church (2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 11:2, 23-25; 15:3-7).
19 But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.
The purpose here is not to proclaim that James was not an apostle, but that Paul’s mission was to confer with the head of the apostles, the first pope, Peter.
“For if the foundation of the Church was laid in Peter, to whom all was revealed, as the gospel says, Paul knew that he ought to see Peter” [Marius Victorinus (ca. A.D. 355), Epistle to the Galatians 1,1,18].
Gospel - Luke 7:11-17
Having heard last week of the healing of the centurion’s servant, we move on to the account of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain. This account is recorded only in Saint Luke’s gospel and shows the Evangelist’s special delight in portraying Jesus not only overwhelmed with pity at the sight of tragedy but also as turning with kindly regard toward women. In the account of the centurion’s servant, the afflicted was dear to his master; in this account, the dead youth is the widow’s only son – her only means of support and protection in a patriarchal society.
11 [Jesus] journeyed to a city called Nain,
The city is located two to three hours by foot to the southeast from Nazareth, about eight to nine hours to the southwest from Capernaum.
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
The large crowd may have included not only relatives and friends, but also hired mourners and musicians.
12 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. 13 When the Lord saw her,
The title ho kyrios, translated here as “Lord,” is used here for the first of many times in Luke (e.g. 10:1, 41; 11:39; 12:42; 13:15). This title is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) for the divine name, Yahweh. It is most appropriately used here when Jesus demonstrates that He has power over life and death.
he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up
The Greek word used here is used only one other place in the New Testament; in the account of Saint Peter raising the dead child in Acts 9:40. In non-Biblical use the term is a technical term used by medical writers.
and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” 17 This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
This account is almost identical to our first reading. No wonder some said that Elijah had returned when describing Jesus.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - 1 Kings 17:17-24
We are all familiar with the story of the 32-year drought which God brought upon the land during the reign of King Ahab; a drought which was predicted (prophesied) by Elijah. And how, during the drought, Elijah went to Zarephtah where he encountered the widow and her son, the widow having only a handful of flour and little oil in her jug; how, upon assurances from Elijah that God would provide, she shared her meager food with him and the jar of flour and the jug of oil sustained the three of them for a year. Our reading for today comes from this account; it’s, as Paul Harvey used to say, “the rest of the story.”
17 [T]he son of the mistress of the house fell sick, and his sickness grew more severe until he stopped breathing. 18 So she said to Elijah, “Why have you done this to me, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?”
The widow interprets her son’s death as a punishment for her sins, the existence of which have been brought to God’s attention by the presence of the “man of God” in her home. This mentality of punishment for sins prevailed even into New Testament times (see John 9:2).
19 “Give me your son,” Elijah said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and called out to the LORD: “O LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.”
This same procedure is used by Saint Paul in Acts 20:9-10 to restore the life of the young man, Eutychus. The prophet Elisha also employs a similar rite of resuscitation in 2 Kings 4:34-35.
22 The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body and he revived. 23 Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “See!” Elijah said to her, “your son is alive.” 24 “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God,” the woman replied to Elijah. “The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.”
2nd Reading - Galatians 1:11-19
Last week (9th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C) we looked a bit into the background of what caused Saint Paul to write this letter to the Galatians. He has been accused of not being a true apostle by Judaizers who are attempting to undermine his authority to teach the gospel. Saint Paul defends his position as an apostle by stressing the new-found freedom which a Christian possesses as compared to the Law of Moses. This week we continue with Saint Paul’s defense.
11 Now I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel preached by me is not of human origin. 12 For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
Saint Paul affirms that what he preaches, the gospel message that salvation is possible for all men alike through faith in Christ, is the message which he received from Jesus directly and that he is simply passing it along. This revelation occurred on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:5).
“The gospel that is according to men is a lie, for every person is a liar (see Romans 3:4), seeing that whatever truth is found in a man is not from the man but through the man from God” [Saint Augustine of Hippo (ca. A.D. 394), Explanation of the Epistle to the Galatians 1B,1,11-12].
13 For you heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of
God beyond measure and tried to destroy it,
This former way of life would hardly provide the proper background for him to have formed the gospel message on his own. In fact, as a Pharisee he resolutely rejected what was opposed to the Mosaic Law and the Pharisaic interpretations of the written Torah. As a Pharisee he looked upon the “church of God” as being the assembly of the People of God in the desert; now he uses the term as a complimentary title for the Jewish-Christian churches in Jerusalem and Judea.
14 and progressed in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my race, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
“What he is saying is, ‘If what I then did against the Church was done not on man’s account but through zeal for God – mistaken, but zeal nonetheless – how can I now be acting for vainglory when I operate on behalf of the Church and know the truth?’” [Saint John Chrysostom (between A.D. 393-397), Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians 1,14].
15 But when (God), who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace,
Here he compares his calling to that of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) (see 1st reading, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C). He also has been destined for the apostolate by a gratuitous call from the Father before he was born.
was pleased 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles,
Saint Paul states that he has “seen” Jesus directly and is therefore legitimately an apostle. He couples his apostolic mission to the Gentiles with the revelation of Christ.
I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
This emphatic denial of the human origin of his commission is explained by the chronological and geographic details which accompany it. His basic insight into Christ did not come from Jerusalem, the traditional center from which the “word of the Lord” went forth to men (see Isaiah 2:3 and Luke 24:49). Although the Twelve were apostles before him, and he is the “least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9), he is not an apostle of second rank.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer with Kephas and remained with him for fifteen days.
The term “Kephas” is a Greek transliteration of the Aramaic kepha which means “rock.” Saint Paul no doubt went to confer with Saint Peter for the purpose of inquiry, to get from him information about Jesus’ teaching and ministry. It was probably during this 15-day period that he learned of the “traditions” of the Jerusalem church (2 Thessalonians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 11:2, 23-25; 15:3-7).
19 But I did not see any other of the apostles, only James the brother of the Lord.
The purpose here is not to proclaim that James was not an apostle, but that Paul’s mission was to confer with the head of the apostles, the first pope, Peter.
“For if the foundation of the Church was laid in Peter, to whom all was revealed, as the gospel says, Paul knew that he ought to see Peter” [Marius Victorinus (ca. A.D. 355), Epistle to the Galatians 1,1,18].
Gospel - Luke 7:11-17
Having heard last week of the healing of the centurion’s servant, we move on to the account of the raising of the widow’s son at Nain. This account is recorded only in Saint Luke’s gospel and shows the Evangelist’s special delight in portraying Jesus not only overwhelmed with pity at the sight of tragedy but also as turning with kindly regard toward women. In the account of the centurion’s servant, the afflicted was dear to his master; in this account, the dead youth is the widow’s only son – her only means of support and protection in a patriarchal society.
11 [Jesus] journeyed to a city called Nain,
The city is located two to three hours by foot to the southeast from Nazareth, about eight to nine hours to the southwest from Capernaum.
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
The large crowd may have included not only relatives and friends, but also hired mourners and musicians.
12 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. 13 When the Lord saw her,
The title ho kyrios, translated here as “Lord,” is used here for the first of many times in Luke (e.g. 10:1, 41; 11:39; 12:42; 13:15). This title is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) for the divine name, Yahweh. It is most appropriately used here when Jesus demonstrates that He has power over life and death.
he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” 15 The dead man sat up
The Greek word used here is used only one other place in the New Testament; in the account of Saint Peter raising the dead child in Acts 9:40. In non-Biblical use the term is a technical term used by medical writers.
and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” 17 This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
This account is almost identical to our first reading. No wonder some said that Elijah had returned when describing Jesus.
Meditation: "The Lord had compassion
on her"
How
do you respond to the misfortunes of others? In a number of places the Gospel
records that Jesus was "moved to the depths of his heart" when he met
with individuals and with groups of people. Our modern use of the word
"compassion" doesn't fully convey the deeper meaning of the original
Hebrew word which expresses heart-felt "sympathy" and personal
identification with the suffering person's grief and physical condition. Why
was Jesus so moved on this occasion when he met a widow and a crowded funeral
procession on their way to the cemetery? Jesus not only grieved the untimely
death of a young man, but he showed the depth of his concern for the woman who
lost not only her husband, but her only child as well. The only secure means of
welfare in biblical times was one's family. This woman had lost not only her
loved ones, but her future security and livelihood as well.
Jesus
is lord of the living and the dead
The Scriptures make clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone (see Ezekiel 33:11) - he desires life, not death. Jesus not only had heart-felt compassion for the widow who lost her only son, he also had extraordinary supernatural power - the ability to restore life and to make a person whole again. Jesus, however, did something which must have shocked the sensibilities of the widow and her friends. Jesus approached the bier to make physical contact with the dead man. The Jews understood that contact with a dead body made oneself ritually unclean or impure. Jesus' physical touch and personal identification with the widow's loss of her only son not only showed the depths of his love and concern for her, but pointed to his desire to free everyone from the power of sin and moral corruption, and even death itself. Jesus' simple word of command - "Young man, arise" - not only restored him to physical life, but brought freedom and wholeness to his soul as well as his body.
The Scriptures make clear that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone (see Ezekiel 33:11) - he desires life, not death. Jesus not only had heart-felt compassion for the widow who lost her only son, he also had extraordinary supernatural power - the ability to restore life and to make a person whole again. Jesus, however, did something which must have shocked the sensibilities of the widow and her friends. Jesus approached the bier to make physical contact with the dead man. The Jews understood that contact with a dead body made oneself ritually unclean or impure. Jesus' physical touch and personal identification with the widow's loss of her only son not only showed the depths of his love and concern for her, but pointed to his desire to free everyone from the power of sin and moral corruption, and even death itself. Jesus' simple word of command - "Young man, arise" - not only restored him to physical life, but brought freedom and wholeness to his soul as well as his body.
The
Lord Jesus has power to restore us to wholeness of life - now and forever
This miracle took place near the spot where the prophet Elisha raised another mother's son back to life again (see 2 Kings 4:18-37). Jesus claimed as his own one whom death had seized as its prey. By his word of power he restored life for a lad marked for death. Jesus is Lord not only of the living but of the dead as well. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he also triumphed over the grave when he rose again on the third day, just as he had promised his disciples. Jesus promises everyone who believes in him, that because he lives (and will never die again), we also shall have abundant life with and in him both now and forever (John 14:19). Do you trust in the Lord Jesus to give you abundant life and everlasting hope in the face of life's trials, misfortunes, and moments of despair?
This miracle took place near the spot where the prophet Elisha raised another mother's son back to life again (see 2 Kings 4:18-37). Jesus claimed as his own one whom death had seized as its prey. By his word of power he restored life for a lad marked for death. Jesus is Lord not only of the living but of the dead as well. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he also triumphed over the grave when he rose again on the third day, just as he had promised his disciples. Jesus promises everyone who believes in him, that because he lives (and will never die again), we also shall have abundant life with and in him both now and forever (John 14:19). Do you trust in the Lord Jesus to give you abundant life and everlasting hope in the face of life's trials, misfortunes, and moments of despair?
"Lord
Jesus, your healing presence brings life and restores us to wholeness of mind,
body, and spirit. Speak your word to me and give me renewed hope, strength, and
courage to follow you in the midst of life's sorrows and joys."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: The dead man who meets the Life and the Resurrection,
by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The
dead man was being buried, and many friends were conducting him to his tomb.
Christ, the life and resurrection, meets him there. He is the Destroyer of
death and of corruption. He is the One in whom we live and move and are.3 He is
who has restored the nature of man to that which it originally was and has set
free our death-fraught flesh from the bonds of death. He had mercy upon the
woman, and that her tears might be stopped, he commanded saying, 'Weep not.'
Immediately the cause of her weeping was done away." (excerpt from COMMENTARY
ON LUKE, HOMILY 36)
TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, LUKE 7:11-17
(1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30; Galatians 1:11-19)
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, LUKE 7:11-17
(1 Kings 17:17-24; Psalm 30; Galatians 1:11-19)
KEY VERSE: "A great prophet has risen among us!" (v 16b).
TO KNOW: After Jesus healed the servant of a Gentile Centurion (Lk 7:1-10), he went to the town of Nain, a day's journey from Capernaum. When Jesus saw a widow accompanying the bier of her dead son, he was moved with compassion for her. Since the widow had no husband or son to support her, she would soon find herself destitute. Risking the possibility of ritual impurity for touching a corpse (Nm 19:11), Jesus laid a hand on the litter bearing the dead man. With a word of authority he commanded him to rise to life. Luke compares Jesus' ministry to that of two prophets in the Hebrew Testament. The prophet Elijah revived the only son of a Gentile widow in Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:8-24). And the prophet Elisha raised to life the only son of a Shunammite woman whose husband was old (2 Kgs 4:31-37). When Jesus raised the widow's son and gave him back to his grateful mother, the people praised God for sending a new prophet to them.
TO LOVE: How can I offer Christ's compassion to someone who is grieving?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, thank you for your compassionate love that raises me to new life.
Sunday 5 June, 2016
Sun 5th. 10th Sunday in
Ordinary Time.
1 Kings 17:17-24. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me—Ps 29(30):2, 4-6, 11-13. Galatians 1:11-19. Luke 7:11-17.
1 Kings 17:17-24. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me—Ps 29(30):2, 4-6, 11-13. Galatians 1:11-19. Luke 7:11-17.
When people
change.
All too often
we are told, ‘People don’t change’, but Paul changed immeasurably and became a
beacon of hope for all of us. As I write this, I am thinking of two friends of
mine whose sons are in prison. Both are scared that their sons are on a path
that there is no way back from. But Paul teaches us that there is always hope.
He also teaches us that we can offer help and support to those who have lost
their way and let them know we believe in them; but the decision to change must
be theirs. Once Paul had made that decision, he went to those who had known
Jesus and asked for their support. We too can be the support for those who are
fighting their way back to the path.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Victory is Forever
|
Pain is temporary, but victory is forever. Suffering lasts a short
time, but the joy of Christ is eternal. Don’t believe me? Just ask a mother
moments after giving birth. Suffering brings life to life in a newer, more
profound way. Like life, suffering is a mystery, designed to point us back to
our Creator.
June 5
St. Boniface
(672?-754)
St. Boniface
(672?-754)
Boniface, known as the apostle of the
Germans, was an English Benedictine monk who gave up being elected abbot to
devote his life to the conversion of the Germanic tribes. Two characteristics
stand out: his Christian orthodoxy and his fidelity to the pope of Rome.
How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful.
In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.
In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
How absolutely necessary this orthodoxy and fidelity were is borne out by the conditions he found on his first missionary journey in 719 at the request of Pope Gregory II. Paganism was a way of life. What Christianity he did find had either lapsed into paganism or was mixed with error. The clergy were mainly responsible for these latter conditions since they were in many instances uneducated, lax and questionably obedient to their bishops. In particular instances their very ordination was questionable.
These are the conditions that Boniface was to report in 722 on his first return visit to Rome. The Holy Father instructed him to reform the German Church. The pope sent letters of recommendation to religious and civil leaders. Boniface later admitted that his work would have been unsuccessful, from a human viewpoint, without a letter of safe-conduct from Charles Martel, the powerful Frankish ruler, grandfather of Charlemagne. Boniface was finally made a regional bishop and authorized to organize the whole German Church. He was eminently successful.
In the Frankish kingdom, he met great problems because of lay interference in bishops’ elections, the worldliness of the clergy and lack of papal control.
During a final mission to the Frisians, he and 53 companions were massacred while he was preparing converts for Confirmation.
In order to restore the Germanic Church to its fidelity to Rome and to convert the pagans, he had been guided by two principles. The first was to restore the obedience of the clergy to their bishops in union with the pope of Rome. The second was the establishment of many houses of prayer which took the form of Benedictine monasteries. A great number of Anglo-Saxon monks and nuns followed him to the continent. He introduced Benedictine nuns to the active apostolate of education.
Story:
Boniface literally struck a blow for Christianity in
his attempt to destroy pagan superstitions. On a day previously announced, in
the presense of a tense crowd, he attacked with an ax Donar's sacred oak on
Mount Gudenburg. The huge tree crashed, splitting into four parts. The people
waited for the gods to strike Boniface dead—then realized their gods were
powerless, nonexistent. He used planks from the tree to build a chapel.
Comment:
Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.
Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death, but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.
Patron Saint of:
Germany
Germany
LECTIO DIVINA: 10TH SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME (C)
Lectio
Divina: Sunday, June 5, 2016
he
Raising of the Widow’s Only Son Jesus was moved with great compassion
Lk
7,11-17
1. OPENING PRAYER
O
Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen
me, console me, teach me always to do the will of the Father. Help me to know
what you desire: I promise to submit to everything that you want from me and to
accept all that you allow to happen to me.
Amen.
(Card. Désiré Mercier)
2. READING
a) A Key to the Reading
Today’s
gospel gives us the story of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain. A
look at the literary context of the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Luke will help
us to understand this episode. The evangelist wishes to show that Jesus opens
the way for us by showing us something of what is new about God as it comes to
us in the proclamation of the Good News. This is how transformation and openness come about: Jesus
listens to the prayer of a foreigner, a non-Jew (Lk 7:1-10) and raises the son of a widow (Lk 7:11-17)
The way in which Jesus reveals the Reign of God comes as a surprise to the
Jewish brethren who were not used to this kind of openness. It is a surprise
also to John the Baptist who sends messengers to ask, Are you the one who is to
come or are we to wait for another (Lk
7:18-30). Jesus mocks the fickleness of his contemporaries: They are like
children sitting in the market-place and calling to one another,“We played the
flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not weep.”’(Lk
7:31-35). At the end we see Jesus’ openness to women (Lk 7:36-50)
b)
Reading
From
the Gospel according to Luke (7:11-17)
11
Soon afterwards* he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large
crowd went with him.12As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died
was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and
with her was a large crowd from the town.13When the Lord saw her, he had
compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’14Then he came forward and
touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to
you, rise!’15The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus* gave him to his
mother.16Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great
prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his
people!’17This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding
country.
c) A
division of the text that will help our reading
Lk
7,11-12: The meeting of the two
processions
Lk
7,13: Compassion in action
Lk
7,14-15: "Young man, I say to
you, rise!"
Lk
7,16-17: The repercussions
c)
The Text: Luke 7,11-17
11
Soon afterwards* he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large
crowd went with him.1
2As
he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out.
He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large
crowd from the town.
13When
the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not
weep.’14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.
And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’
15The
dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
16Fear
seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen
among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’17This word about him
spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
3. A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL SILENCE
So
that the Word of God may enter us and give light to our lives.
4. SOME QUESTIONS
To
help our meditation and prayer.
- The text tells us that there were two groups
of people. Which of them caught the attention of Jesus?
-
Compassion moved Jesus to raise the son of the widow to life. Does the pain of
others move me to the same kind of compassion?
-
What do I do to help others to overcome their pain and open out to a new life?
- God
visited his people. Am I aware of the many visits of God in my life and in the
life of the people?
- Am
I appreciative, and do I praise and thank God for the very many good things I
have received?
5. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO HAVE A DEEPER GRASP OF THE TEXT
a)
Commentary on the text
Lk
7,11-12: The meeting of the two processions
”
Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large
crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died
was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and
with her was a large crowd from the town”.
Luke
is like a painter. With very few words he manages to paint a very beautiful
picture of the meeting of two crowds or processions, the funeral procession
that leaves the city and accompanies the widow bringing her only son to the
cemetery; the procession of the crowd that was heading for the city
accompanying Jesus. The two meet in the small square near the gate of the city
of Nain.
Lc
7,13: Compassion in action
“13When
the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep”.It
was compassion that moved Jesus to speak and to act. Compassion means,
literally, to suffer-with, to take on the pain of the other person, to be
identified with the other person and to feel the other person’s pain. It was
compassion that ignited the power in Jesus, the power of life over death, the
power of creation.
Lc
7,14-15: "Young man, I tell you, rise!"
Jesus
went nearer to the bier and said, “Young man, I tell you, rise”. The dead man
“sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother”. Sometimes, when
there is great suffering because of the death of a loved-one, people say, “In
the time of Jesus, when Jesus walked on this earth, there was the hope of not
losing a loved-one because Jesus could bring people back to life”. Such people
think of the raising of the widow’s son in Nain as something that happened in
the past, that makes us think about the past and have a certain envy. However
the intention of the Gospel is not to get us thinking about the past or to
produce any kind of envy, but rather to help us come to a better experience of
the living presence of Jesus among us.
It is the same Jesus, who has power to overcome death and the pain of death,
and who continues to be alive in our midst. He is with us today and in the face
of the problems that are capable of dragging us down he says again, “I tell
you, Rise!”
Lk
7,16-17: The repercussions
“16Fear
seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen
among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’ 17This word about him
spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. This was the prophet
that was foretold by Moses (Dt 18,15).The God who comes to visit us is “the
Father of orphans and the protector of widows” (Ps 68,6; cfr. Jud 9,11).
6. PRAYER – Psalm 68,4-8
4
Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift
up a song to him who rides upon the clouds*—
his
name is the Lord—
be
exultant before him.
5
Father of orphans and protector of widows
is
God in his holy habitation.
6 God
gives the desolate a home to live in;
he
leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but
the rebellious live in a parched land.
7 O
God, when you went out before your people,
when
you marched through the wilderness,
8 the
earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
at
the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
at
the presence of God, the God of Israel.
7. CLOSING PRAYER
Lord
Jesus, we thank you for your Word that has helped us to see the will of the
Father more clearly. Let your Spirit enlighten our actions and enable us to
carry our what your Word has helped us
to see. May we, just like Mary, your Mother, not only listen to your Word but
also put it into practice. You live and reign with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.
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