10th Sunday of Ordinary Time
First Reading: 1 Kings 17:17-24
Elijah went to Zarephath of Sidon to the house of a widow. The son of the mistress 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, O man of God? Have you come to me to call attention to my guilt and to kill my son?" "Give me your son," Elijah said to her. 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: "O 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 called out to the LORD: "O 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 revived. Taking the child, Elijah brought him down into the house from the upper room and gave him to his mother. "See!" Elijah said to her, "your son is alive." "Now indeed I know that you you are a man of God," the woman replied to Elijah. "The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth."
Second Reading: Galatians 1:11-19
Brothers and sisters, 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 a revelation 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 Kephas 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 Reading: 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: Fr. Sahaya G Selvam
At the gate of the town of Nain, there were two processions crisscrossing each other. One entering the city, led by Jesus, and “accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people.” The second procession was a funeral procession leaving the town. There was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. (Jesus also was the only son of a widow).
The two processions of life and death meet at the gate. The Lord of life cannot let death overtake him. “When the Lord saw the widow he felt sorry for her and said to her, ‘Don’t cry’” (Lk 7:13). Jesus was moved with compassion. The final focus of our reflection is on the fact that the son of the widow was a “young man”. He had died before time. Jesus offers a second chance to live – to live to the full!
The two processions of life and death meet at the gate. The Lord of life cannot let death overtake him. “When the Lord saw the widow he felt sorry for her and said to her, ‘Don’t cry’” (Lk 7:13). Jesus was moved with compassion. The final focus of our reflection is on the fact that the son of the widow was a “young man”. He had died before time. Jesus offers a second chance to live – to live to the full!
