TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
5 MAY 2016
Widows
in the Ancient Near East did not have it easy.
In a man’s world, they survived through their connections with their
husbands. There was no safety net. When the husband died, they found themselves
at the bottom of society. In the case of
the two widows in today’s Scripture readings, the deaths of their only sons
amounted to a death sentence for them.
In the case of both widows, God intervened to save them.
Elijah had
been staying with the widow of Zarephath during the drought caused by Israel’s
infidelity. She sees her son’s death as
a punishment for her lack of faith in the God of Israel. Elijah cries out in fear and stretches
himself over the dead body of her son three times, begging God to bring the boy
back to life. When God responds to his
cries, Elijah is affirmed in his role as God’s prophet, and the widow affirms
her faith in his God.
Nine
centuries later, as he approaches the city of Nain, Jesus encounters another
widow bringing her only son for burial. Jesus
looks with pity at the woman weeping and touches the dead body. Jesus ignores the prohibition in Law of Moses
against coming in contact with a dead body and expresses his deep compassion by
touching the body. Unlike Elijah who had
begged God to hear him, Jesus speaks the words, “Young man, I tell you,
arise!” He gives the young man back to
his mother, causing those who witness this even to glorify God.
But Jesus’
action also causes fear to seize the crowd in the funeral procession. Knowing the difference between Elijah invoking
God and Jesus speaking the words on his own authority, they sense that a new
day has dawned. The long promised
Messianic Age has arrived in the person of Jesus Christ. As the Gospel will continue to unfold, they
will come to understand Jesus as the Suffering Servant and experience his passion
and death. This miracle points to the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, of his power to transform defeat into victory,
sin into forgiveness and mercy, and death into life. The Lord’s resurrection is at the heart of all
of our efforts to evangelize, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Yesterday,
we witnessed an incredible event in the history of our parish. Bishop Rhoades ordained two of our own sons,
David Violi and Craig Borchard, to the priesthood. Those of us who know them well are familiar
with the stories of their growth in faith.
Having graduated from Purdue (David) and Notre Dame (Craig), both came
to understand Saint Paul’s words to the Galatians. Like Paul, they are convinced that God had called
them to serve in the ministerial priesthood from their mother’s wombs. They may not have had such a sordid history
as Paul did in his persecution of the Church.
But, each has pursued his own path to answer God’s call. Like Paul, they have spent much time in
prayer and reflection. Like Paul, they
conferred with the successors of Saint Peter and the formation teams at the
seminary.
As ordained
priests, they now begin their service to the Church. At the heart of that ministry will be their
consistent proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They will proclaim that mystery every time
they celebrate the Eucharist and administer the Sacrament of
Reconciliation. They will comfort people
who are suffering when they give the Sacrament of the Sick. They will provide consolation and hope in
celebrating funeral liturgies. They will
not have to cry out in fear like Elijah.
They will perform their priestly ministries in the person of Jesus
Christ, the risen Lord. We have watched
them grow in faith as members of our parish, and we are extremely proud of them
and confident that they will be effective priests as they dedicate their lives
to proclaim the Good News of Salvation in the ways they serve the people of our
Diocese for the rest of their lives.
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