The Catholic Calendar for Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
St. John Chrysostom

Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:
1 Timothy 3:1-13
Psalm 101:1-3, 5-6
Luke 7:11-17

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

In today’s Gospel Reading we get a quick snapshot of what our Lord’s ministry was all about. Let’s take a closer look....

It must have been a real surprise to the onlookers when they saw Jesus approach and actually touch the coffin. His action made the coffin bearers stop, probably because they were shocked at what he did. The religious laws addressed contact with a corpse and the religious leaders would certainly have been disgusted by His actions. Contact with a corpse made one unclean. It is interesting that Jesus adhered to much of the law, but at times ignored points of it when they conflicted with his mission.

Jesus came to bring life, which He does in today’s reading by actually restoring life to a dead man. Since life was so central to His message, He deliberately disregarded a part of the law to bring life. Having pity, He told the man’s mother not to weep, bringing her comfort and reassurance that all would be well. Our God brings life, has pity on those who are suffering and puts the law in its rightful place.

Jesus continues to bring life today. His ministry lives on in us, and in the teachings of His Church. He continues to show mercy to those who suffer. He restores what was lost. This is our Lord, a loving and life-giving God!

- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)