Reading 1
1 Tm 3:1-13
Beloved, this saying is trustworthy:
whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.
Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable,
married only once, temperate, self-controlled,
decent, hospitable, able to teach,
not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle,
not contentious, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;
for if a man does not know how to manage his own household,
how can he take care of the Church of God?
He should not be a recent convert,
so that he may not become conceited
and thus incur the Devil's punishment.
He must also have a good reputation among outsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, the Devil's trap.
Similarly, deacons must be dignified, not deceitful,
not addicted to drink, not greedy for sordid gain,
holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Moreover, they should be tested first;
then, if there is nothing against them,
let them serve as deacons.
Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers,
but temperate and faithful in everything.
Deacons may be married only once
and must manage their children and their households well.
Thus those who serve well as deacons gain good standing
and much confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 101:1b-2ab, 2cd-3ab, 5, 6R. (2)
I will walk with blameless heart.
Of mercy and judgment I will sing;
to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.
I will persevere in the way of integrity;
when will you come to me?
R. I will walk with blameless heart.
I will walk with blameless heart,
within my house;
I will not set before my eyes
any base thing.
R. I will walk with blameless heart.
Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I destroy.
The man of haughty eyes and puffed up heart
I will not endure.
R. I will walk with blameless heart.
My eyes are upon the faithful of the land,
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in the way of integrity
shall be in my service.
R. I will walk with blameless heart.
Gospel
Lk 7:11-17
Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,
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."
This report about him spread through the whole of Judea
and in all the surrounding region.
Meditation: Luke 7:11-17
I tell you, arise!” (Luke 7:14)
One of the priceless gifts of praying with Scripture is that we come to know Jesus better. The Gospels portray him in a variety of situations, and when we read these passages slowly and prayerfully, we discover new facets of his personality. So what can today’s Gospel teach us?
Here we see Jesus encountering a distraught widow as she is coming out of the city gates to bury her only son. He could have passed her by, but something made him stop. Perhaps one of the bystanders told him that this woman had already lost her husband, and that this was her only son. That meant that she was suffering both the emotional pain of losing her child and the fear and anxiety of knowing that she was now all alone and had no means of financial support. Whether it was the knowledge of her plight or the look on her face, Jesus was moved. At his word and touch, her dead son came back to life and sat up!
What does this mean for us today? First, just as he encountered this widow, Jesus wants to meet us in our comings and goings—in every moment of our lives. Second, this story tells us that our trials and difficulties move Jesus’ heart. He knows our needs and wants to fill them. Third, Jesus is the Word who gives life. Through him, we have eternal life in heaven and a richer, fuller life here and now.
Like the widow of Nain, let Jesus encounter you in this Scripture passage today. Look into his eyes and tell him what’s on your heart. Know that he is moved by your burdens and worries. Maybe there’s a sin you can’t overcome or a past hurt you can’t let go of. Maybe you’re exhausted by a difficult situation or have given up hope. Believe that whatever has “died” in you, Jesus can bring back to life. With expectant faith, ask him to pour his life into you—a life of love, joy, and peace that comes from knowing him. He wants nothing less for each of his beloved children.
“Jesus, your compassion knows no bounds! You meet us where we are and then fill us with what we need. Just as you said to the dead man, say to me, ‘Arise!’ I want to be fully alive in you.”
No comments:
Post a Comment