The miracles wrought upon the leper and the centurion’s servant, which had caused such wonder, were to be followed by one still more striking -- the resurrection of a dead man.
“He went to a town called Naim, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.” (Lk 7:11-2)
What a wonderful picture is here shown the folly of whoever place their happiness and hopes in the things of this world! A mother clad in widow’s weeds, robbed of all other joys, has still one consolation left to her, an only son. How happy she sees him advancing in years; and often dwells hopefully upon his future!
Vain is her plan, fleeting her joy! Death instantly ends it all, and she is left in solitude and despair. She is an image of the world, the history of whoever place their happiness in it.
The crowd ahead of Jesus stopped as the funeral procession was then coming out. Every eye was fixed on the desolate mother, weeping, anguished. “When the Lord saw her, being moved with mercy, said to her, ‘Weep not’. He came near and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still.”
Then, speaking in that tone of authority as the Master of life and death, he said, “Young man, I say to you, ‘Arise!’” (Lk 7:15) The dead man sat up, and began to speak. Jesus gave him to his mother.
The tenderness of Jesus for a stranger who asked nothing should confound us at our want of confidence in him. We say, ‘I try in vain to be as fervent again as I once was; or I strive in vain to bring back this young man, or this sick person, or this hardened sinner, to the right path: it will require nothing less than a miracle’.
That may be; but why hesitate to ask for this miracle of grace? Why doubt that we will obtain it? Is it not doing an injury to the Heart of Jesus to believe that he will do less for the life of a soul than that of the body?
Many of the Fathers believe that in our Lord’s mind the bodily resurrection which he wrought at Naim was a figure of the spiritual resurrection which the Apostles and their successors were to accomplish everywhere.
It was ‘because of his mother’ that Jesus raised the dead man. When we desire to obtain any great favor, let us implore the intercession of our Mother, of Mary, and we will feel redoubled confidence.
When the multitude who surrounded him saw the miracle, “fear seized them all; and they glorifed God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us’, and ‘God has looked favorably on his people!’” (Lk 7:16).
God is always working miracles of power and goodness, in the order of nature and grace. We must show our gratitude by praising and blessing God, and by trying, when occasion offers, to inspire others with the same feelings of admiration and gratitude.
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp473-5
Love Without Limits
Jesus brings God’s commandments to fulfilment, particularly the commandment of love of neighbor, by interiorizing their demands and by bringing out their fullest meaning. Love of neighbor springs from a loving heart. Precisely because it loves, it is ready to live out the loftiest challenges.
Jesus shows that the commandments must not be understood as a minimum limit not to be gone beyond, but rather as a path involving a moral and spiritual journey toward perfection, at the heart of which is love (cf Col 3:14).
He becomes a living and personal law, who invites people to follow him. Through the Spirit, he gives the grace to share his own life and love; and provides strength to bear witness to that love in personal choices and actions (cf Jn 13:34-5).
Ref: Pope John Paul II, “Breakfast with the Pope”, 1984, 5
Charity lasts eternally
“Love never ends. Prophecies may cease; tongues be silent; knowledge disappear ... faith, hope and love abide; but the greatest is love.” (cf 1 Cor 13:8, 13) These three theological virtues, the most important in the Christian life, have God as their object and end.
Faith and hope do not remain in Heaven: faith there gives way to the beatific vision, hope to the possession of God. Charity, on the other hand, remains eternally. Here on earth it is already the beginning of Heaven. ... (cf St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, I-II, 114, a4)
St Paul tells us the qualities which adorn charity -- it is ‘patient’ with others. Patience in turn denotes fortitude. Through it we imitate God, who is so long-suffering with our many errors and always “slow to anger” (cf Ps 145:8).
“Love is kind, not jealous. Charity is not arrogant or rude; does not delight in wrong. Love excuses everything; hopes all things.” (cf 1 Cor 13:4-7)
Love is Christ’s greatest gift; his principal commandment; by which we are recognized as his disciples. (cf Jn 13:35) A virtue which is always challenged: relieve a need, say a pleasant word, avoid gossip, give a sign of encouragement, yield to others, pray to God for someone, give good advice, smile, forgive, etc.
We can do good or fail to do so; even do positive harm not only by omission. Charity urges us constantly to show our love by performing works of service, by prayer and also by penance.
When we grow in charity, all our virtues are enriched and strengthened. None of them is a true virtue unless it is permeated with charity. “You have as much virtue as you have love, no more.” (F de Osuna, A “Spiritual Alphabet”, 16, 4)
By frequent recourse to Our Lady, she will teach us how to love and treat other people, for she is the ‘Teacher of charity’. So great is Mary’s love for all mankind that she, too, fulfilled Christ’s words: “Greater love has no man than this, that he should lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). (cf St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 287) Mary our Mother also gave herself up for us.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:175-8
In the year 1480, the Knights of Rhodes gained a signal victory over the Turks by the help of the Blessed Virgin, who appeared on the walls of that city holding a lance in her hand: the enemy, panic-struck, fled in disorder, and lost the greater part of their army. — Bosius. History of the Knights of Rhodes. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Miraculous defeat of the Turks through Mary's intercession. She appeared with a lance in Her hand and the Turks fled. 1480. (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
‘Notre Dame de La Foi’ / Our Lady of Faith. Gravelines, France. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html)
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