Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 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, exclaiming,
“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.
Young man, arise!
1. Naim. Jesus goes to a place that is considered sinful. Throughout the Bible we also see how God acts, for He goes out to seek especially those who many consider to be lost. Let’s stop fishing in the fishbowl and go out to those who’re in need of God’s love.
2. Dead young man. The Bible shows us how God acts in people who have failed or are dead because of sin, “marked” people. Jacob had cheated, Peter denied Christ, David committed adultery, Noah had gotten drunk, Jonah fled from God, Miriam was a gossip, Martha worried about everything, Thomas doubted, Zacchaeus committed fraud, Elijah became depressed… As you can see, the Bible doesn’t lead us to idolize the characters (as many Catholics do with the saints) but shows how God acts in them even with their weaknesses. So, remember you are not dead to God.
3. Arise. We often live in a state of anxiety and agony, because we don’t dare to talk about our crises for fear of no longer being a testimony to others. Many people are dead in life and they only project an image and aren’t able to solve their own problems. There are so many hidden things inside you that are killing you, and you don’t even dare to talk about them for fear of what people will say or that they’ll close the door on you, even in your home and in your church. If we’re in a sinless and perfect Church, then we’ve failed because we’re lying to one another, and I’ve failed as a priest, because we are all broken at the foot of the cross and we’re struggling every day. To get up, you must first recognize that you’ve fallen. If you want to walk you must recognize that you are standing still, and if you want to set a goal then you must look at yourself. Let go of the image that you project, accept your reality and build your life from there, to get up and walk.
Remember, something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
