10th Trinity August- September
Luke 7, 11-17
And it came to pass that on the next day Jesus went into a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. And as he drew near to the gate of the city, they became aware that a dead man was being carried out—the only born son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd of people from the city accompanied her.
And seeing her the Lord felt her suffering, and said to her, “Weep no more.”
And approaching, he touched the coffin, and pallbearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!”
The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. Astonishment and awe seized all who were standing there, and they began to praise God and to glorify what was here revealed, saying,
“A prophet powerful in spirit has been raised among us, and God has come down to us, his people.”
Word about him spread out into all of Judea and all of the neighboring regions.
10th Trinity August- September
September 25, 2016
Luke 7, 11-17
When someone close to us dies, we grieve. Part of the difficulty we have is that, for our perception, the loved one seems swallowed up by an abyss. A darkness engulfs us, separates us from them. They are lost to us, and we weep for what is now missing in our own lives – their words, their touch, their love.
Christ approaches the grieving widow, now a grieving mother. He speaks to her kindly, tenderly. Like an approaching dawn, he comforts her – weep no more.
And then, like the glory of the sun rising above the horizon, he says to the dead one, ‘Arise!’ The darkness of separation is flooded with light and with life. Loves are reunited.
In our own lives, we too grieve our losses, be they loved ones, lost possessions, or unfulfilled dreams. These are the moment when Christ approaches. He bids us weep no more. He shows us that no matter how great the loss, no matter how deep the hopelessness, there is always a future, a new day. It may take time for the sun to rise, but, in the words of John O’Donohue:
As twilight makes a rainbow robe
From the concealed colors of day
In order for time to stay alive
Within the dark weight of night,
May we lose no one we love
From the shelter of our hearts.
When we love another heart
…We journey deep below time
Into that eternal weave
Where nothing unravels.
May we have the grace to see
…That whoever we have loved,
Such love can never quench.
Though a door may have closed,
Closed between us,
May we be able to view
Our lost friends with eyes
Wise with calming grace;
….
Bring warmth again to
Where the heart has frozen
In order that beyond the walls
…We may be able to
Celebrate the gifts they brought,
Learn and grow from the pain,
…Where spirit can summon
Beauty from wounded space.*
*John O'Donohue , “For Lost Friends” in To Bless the Space Between Us
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