10th Sunday of O.T. (C)
GOD IS FULL OF COMPASSION AND IS PRESENT AMONG US!
Dear brethren in Christ, this Sunday’s liturgy revolves around the idea that Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and death, our compassionate God is present among men.
- The Gospel of today’s Mass recounts the MIRACLE OF THE WIDOW’S SON AT NAIM (Lk 7:11-17).
- Once more, we see Our Lord’s compassion: how he took pity at the widow whose only son had just died. JESUS WAS NOT AND IS NOT INSENSITIVE TO OUR PAIN AND SUFFERING. Rather, He suffers with us when we suffer: above all, He suffered for us on the Cross so that our sufferings would have a divine, supernatural and redeeming value.
- On the other hand, the resurrection of the widow’s son underlines THE SAVING POWER OF GOD’S WORD.
- If Elijah spoke and acted in God’s name when he prayed so that the widow’s dead son be brought back to life (cfr. 1st reading: 1 Kgs 17:17–24), JESUS CHRIST IS HIMSELF THE LORD OF LIFE AND DEATH!
- This is the ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENTS: in the Old Testament, the Word was spoken through men; WHEREAS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORD HIMSELF, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, IS PRESENT AMONG MEN.
- Furthermore, the Living Word of God is COMPASSION HIMSELF: “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” (J. Escrivá, Christ is passing by, 166)
- We could just imagine the mother’s joy upon seeing his son come back to life through God’s mercy! This reminds us as well of the joy of our Mother the Church when her sinful children return to the life of grace. As St. Augustine wrote:
“The widowed mother rejoiced at the raising of that young man, Our Mother the Church rejoices every day when men 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).
- In this time of the Church, the Spouse of Christ and Our Mother, our CONVERSION AND FAITH IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PERPETUATE THE GOD’S COMPASSION IN OUR TIME, just like St. Paul himself underwent the necessary spiritual transformation in order to be an effective instrument of God’s mercy and love (cfr. 2nd reading: Gal 1:11–19)
Dear brethren in Christ, let us then THANK GOD OUR LORD FOR “HE IS KIND AND MERCIFUL”, “FULL OF COMPASSION”. He is present among us, especially in the Holy Eucharist and in the people around us who forget themselves to help and console others in their sufferings
LET US BE HIS INSTRUMENTS OF COMPASSION AND MERCIFUL LOVE especially towards our brethren who mourn and suffer, by OVERCOMING OUR INDIFFERENCE OR INSENSITIVITY brought about by EGOISM, LAZINESS, GREED AND PRIDE. By doing so, WE SHALL WE MAKE OUR COMPASSIONATE GOD PRESENT AS WELL IN OUR SURROUNDINGS.
Fr. Rolly A., priest of Opus Dei, www.catholicsstrivingforholiness.com and Catholics striving for Holiness FB page. Help us help more people in their Christian life by inviting your friends to our page and sharing our posts. Thanks! Have a great week ahead and God bless!
ORIGINAL PHOTO CREDIT AND SOURCE: Eustache de Sueur, Christ with the Son of the Widow of Nain in http://www.catholictradition.org/Easter/egallery5-14.jpg
Catholics Striving for Holiness (OLD) 
