The gospel for Tuesday of the 24th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Luke 7th, chapter 11 to the 17th verse. Jesus journeyed to a city called Naim 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. Report about him spread throughout the whole of Judea, in all the surrounding region. When Jesus encounters this funeral procession, he’s immediately moved to compassion for the mother. He knows that without a son, she will be a beggar.

And so as his heart goes out to her, he immediately heals the Son and gives the Son back to the mother. It’s a beautiful image of Jesus giving his mother over to John. But most important in this, it expresses in a very beautiful way the appreciation God had for her faith and her understanding, allowing God to enter into her and to bring Jesus himself into life. Take this time to reflect on these thoughts. And now we’ll close with a prayer. Foreign Father, we often take for granted the people that have made sacrifices for us, who have given us life and shown us the way.

Give us always a deep appreciation, a gratitude for all those who have given us life. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.