THE WORD
FIRST READING: 1 Kgs 17,17-24
Sometime later the son of the woman, the owner 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, 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 him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. He called out to the LORD: “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 he called out to the LORD: “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 lived. Taking the child, Elijah carried him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “See! Your son is alive.” The woman said to Elijah, “Now indeed I know that you are a man of God, and it is truly the word of the LORD that you speak.”
SECOND READING: Gal 1,11-19
Now I want you to know, brothers, 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 arevelation 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, since I was even more a zealot for my ancestral traditions.
But when [God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; rather, I went into Arabia and then returned to Damascus.
Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to confer 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.
GOSPEL: Lk 7,11-17
Soon afterward 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.
IN OTHER WORDS
“MERCY AND COMPASSION” was the central theme of Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in 2014. The Pope visited the Philippines primarily to comfort Filipinos devastated by the typhoon and earthquake in the Visayas. The Holy Father saw the suffering of the people so he came to bring the joy of the gospel.
The gospel today talks about compassion. It relates to us the tragic story of a widow who was devastated by the loss of her only son. The gospel describes the woman’s deep sorrow in these words: “A man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow” (Lk. 7:12). Without a husband and without a son, the woman was left all alone. Against this background, Jesus came to her life bringing mercy and compassion. We are told how Jesus was moved with pity for her. Then He consoled her and brought joy to her by raising her son back to life.
In the gospel, we see the story of a compassionate God in the person of Jesus. Compassion comes from the Latin words cum and pati, which, in combination, means to ‘suffer with.’ Merriam-Webster defines compassion as the capacity to feel sorrow for another’s suffering or misfortune together with a desire to alleviate it. As followers of Christ, we are called to practice what He taught us. As Jesus showed pity to the widow, so we should also show concern for the needs of others. As Jesus felt the suffering of the people, so we should also feel the suffering of others. As Jesus alleviated the suffering of the people, so we should also help ease the suffering of others.
The world today is full of people suffering from all sorts of problems. There is poverty everywhere. Terrorism inflicts pain and causes death to many. People suff er from violence, sickness, poverty, and devastation by natural calamities. Today, the gospel reminds us to be like Jesus, to feel the suffering of others, to help others find meaning in their suffering, and to help them ease the pain of their suffering.
Read the gospel once again. Feel the pains of the widow. Reflect on what Jesus did. Relate your pains with the sorrow of the widow. Remember the sufferings of so many people in the world today. Pray to Jesus and ask Him to teach you to be compassionate like Him. When Pope Francis saw the suffering of the people devastated by the super typhoon, he vowed to visit them and be with them. In his homily in Tacloban, he said: “I have come to be with you and to tell you that Jesus is Lord, the He never lets us down. Jesus was nailed to the cross. And from there, He never lets us down”.
- Fr. Jose Honorio P. Mateo, SVD | Paraguay, South America
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
