June 5, 2016

Dear Parish Family,

After Easter and the Solemnities of Pentecost and Corpus Christi, we resume with the Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time. As I read and pray the scriptures passages for this weekend, I notice that both the first reading from the Book of Kings and the Gospel passage from Luke share a quite similar story. Both readings talk about a widow and her son. In the Book of Kings, Elijah stays at the house of a widow from Zarephath. She has a child. Suddenly her child dies. She thinks it is because of Elijah’s presence at her house. She understands that God has entered her house through Elijah; and therefore, God has punished her because of her sins. Elijah takes the child in his arms and goes to the upper room. There he prays to God, asking Him to bring the child back to life. God listens to the prophet’s prayer, and gives life back to the child.

The story in the Gospel follows the same theme. Jesus entered the city of Nain with his disciples and many people. They encounter another group of people who were leaving the town and going to a burial. The son of a widow had just died. Jesus felt compassion toward this mourning mother and brought the young man back to life.

From these two stories, we may conclude that God is not indifferent to the mourner. On the contrary, He is willing to comfort the sorrowful. Second, God is the giver of life; He gives and takes away life. Third, through his miracles, God invites us to believe in him.

God bless you all.

​Fr. Lopez

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