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.
Jesus was the only son of Mary, herself most likely a widow at the time of his crucifixion. Could this woman have brought to mind his own destiny? Was the pity that moved his heart for her even greater because of what he felt for his own mother? Perhaps his love for Mary here overflowed to others, who were themselves, at least potentially, his mother and his brothers (see Luke 8:21), if they would keep his word.
When the Lord saw her,
he was moved with pity for her and said to her,
“Do not weep.”
In the earthly ministry of Jesus there was a preview of things to come, of the time when those who weep will laugh (see Luke 6:21), the time when every tear will be wiped from every eye (see Revelation 21:4).
He stepped forward and touched the coffin;
at this the bearers halted,
and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
The resurrection of the young man looks forward to the day when we too shall here the voice of Jesus calling us to wake from death and to live with him forever.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (see John 5:25).
Even now, those who hear the word of Jesus are raised from spiritual death to new life in the Spirit. Those thus raised are assured that even if they do face bodily death someday, as most likely they will, they will nevertheless live again for eternity. We are meant to be among the ones who hear his words and live, dead women and men, and yet speaking the praises of the Lord who has raised us up. We must not, therefore, persist in our former death-directed ways life.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (see Romans 6:4).
The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
Jesus, after raising us to new life, desires to entrust us to our mother, who is both Mary and, by extension, the Church. He is like Elijah who raised the son of the widow at Zarephath and gave him to his mother (see First Kings 17:17-24), yet greater. Elijah pleaded with God. The son of this widow at Nain was raised at the mere touch of Christ. And Jesus continues to perform this same miracle, spiritually and mystically, in the lives of all who come to believe in him.
We are not all called to be deacons, or to take up other official ministries within the Church, but we are all called to hold "fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience". This is another way of saying that we are called to continue to live the new life we have received in Christ, navigating the same familiar world, but with new minds and hearts. If we have instead returned to our tombs and hung signs outside that say 'Do Not Disturb' let us again hear him calling us forth. Let us allow ourselves to be given into the arms of his mother so that she can help us to grow and become like her Son.
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