The Gospel according to 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."

Reflection

In the Old and New Testament, there are many verses and stories of God’s compassion and tenderness toward the poor, the widow, and the orphan. In today’s Gospel we see one such example where,

“As he drew near to the gate of the city (Nain), 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.'"

Our Lord brought to life the dead young man and gave him back to his mother. In this story we see no one petitioning our Lord for a miracle nor any act of faith by the mother. It was purely God’s Divine mercy and compassion acting in the person of His Divine Son, Jesus!

We may wonder why God had, and still has, such pity and compassion on widows and orphans. One likely answer is that an orphan is fatherless, and a widow in those days had no husband to protect her and care for her. There were no pension plans, social security checks, or life insurance to help her – an easy prey for men with evil intentions. In the Gospel story, her only son had been her consolation, and her only means of care and protection. Our precious Lord, himself, fully understood this plight when He gave his own Mother, from the cross, to His beloved disciple, John, to take her into his home.

In our present day, there are still widows and orphans, and we still have the poor as Jesus told us we would, “The poor you will always have with you;” (Matthew 26:11). I am reminded today that Holy Mother Church clearly teaches all of us that the working of our salvation includes both corporal and spiritual works of mercy. But today I am also reminded that every day, and often without being aware of it, and certainly without merit, Jesus, Divine Mercy walks up and touches me to give me what I need, just because he loves me.