Today's Gospel is one full of God's love and compassion to a grieving mother. It is a full of hope in the Lord, Jesus Christ and it can be applied to life today.
The son of the widow of Nain restored to life.
It happened that soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. Now when he was near the gate of the town there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother and she was a widow. And a considerable number of townspeople was with her. When the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her and said to her, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said "Young man, I tell you: 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 glorified God saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us: God has visited his people." And this view of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside. (cf. NJB, Luke 7:11-17).
In today's Gospel, Jesus sees the pain of a mother. A widow whose son has just died.
The woman was with a number of people from the town. When Jesus saw her he felt sorry and said to her, "Don't cry."
In society today, Jesus would be on overtime for the amount of times he would have to say these words to parents especially parents of young people. This month as we pray for protection of young people against the excessive use of drink, the use of drugs and the misuse of the body we can also look at the compassionate heart of Jesus as seen in today's Gospel. How many parents especially mothers have wept tears over their children who may not have physically died but who are spiritually lost and who have chosen to walk the paths that lead to darkness and the death of their souls. Not all but many parents have watched their children turn to excessive use of drink and drugs because its what society deems to be the fashion. Even in St. Monica's time these things were a problem for her son Augustine and have been so for countless mothers down through the ages.
Jesus saw and felt the pain of this suffering mother and his beautiful response was "Don't cry. Mothers and Fathers also feel the pain and suffering of their children as they drink themselves senseless or take drugs. A frequent pray often prayed "O God, come to our aid, O Lord, make haste to help us" is one where we ask God to come to our aid and to quickly help us. Do our children not also ask this of us when they are in trouble "Oh mam can you come to the hospital or to the house I am staying at, Can you come quickly, I need your help." In the example of this short prayer are we not living the Gospel? Today Jesus comes to us when we ask him to and he helps us just as he helped the woman in the Gospel.
In the Gospel story there are a lot of people with the woman but they cannot help her only Jesus can. It is his healing touch that restores life to her son and not mans. It is the touch of the Divine that is needed both in the widow's sorrow and in the restoration of her son to life. This Gospel is one of great hope to parents who cannot reach their children. It teaches us to trust in Jesus Christ the Divine healer to comfort us with His compassion and to touch the wayward hearts of our straying children. It also shows us that the Divine touch can cure and does heal and is so greatly needed. It highlights for us the need to praise and thank God for his mighty goodness to us all.
Let all parents who suffer with their straying young people take heart from the words of Jesus today "Don't cry." Like St. Monica, we need to storm heaven and be persistent with our prayers. As we listen to the cry's and sufferings of our children and we do our best to help them and answer them so too with God. He does listen and He does hear and answer us.
May God be our strength and comfort in all our trials and sufferings and may all glory and honour be His, now and forever more. Amen.
Jesus saw and felt the pain of this suffering mother and his beautiful response was "Don't cry. Mothers and Fathers also feel the pain and suffering of their children as they drink themselves senseless or take drugs. A frequent pray often prayed "O God, come to our aid, O Lord, make haste to help us" is one where we ask God to come to our aid and to quickly help us. Do our children not also ask this of us when they are in trouble "Oh mam can you come to the hospital or to the house I am staying at, Can you come quickly, I need your help." In the example of this short prayer are we not living the Gospel? Today Jesus comes to us when we ask him to and he helps us just as he helped the woman in the Gospel.
In the Gospel story there are a lot of people with the woman but they cannot help her only Jesus can. It is his healing touch that restores life to her son and not mans. It is the touch of the Divine that is needed both in the widow's sorrow and in the restoration of her son to life. This Gospel is one of great hope to parents who cannot reach their children. It teaches us to trust in Jesus Christ the Divine healer to comfort us with His compassion and to touch the wayward hearts of our straying children. It also shows us that the Divine touch can cure and does heal and is so greatly needed. It highlights for us the need to praise and thank God for his mighty goodness to us all.
Let all parents who suffer with their straying young people take heart from the words of Jesus today "Don't cry." Like St. Monica, we need to storm heaven and be persistent with our prayers. As we listen to the cry's and sufferings of our children and we do our best to help them and answer them so too with God. He does listen and He does hear and answer us.
May God be our strength and comfort in all our trials and sufferings and may all glory and honour be His, now and forever more. Amen.