Daily Gospel Reflection
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September 19, 2023
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.
The miracle in today’s gospel is the first of three resurrections that Jesus performs. This incredible power to bring people back from the dead is still evident in our world today. While it may not be the resurrection of the physical body, the power that Jesus has to resurrect and save people’s souls is seen quite clearly through the lives of faithful followers.
Interestingly, the widow in the reading is not described as a faithful follower; she might not even know who Jesus is. Luke tells us that Jesus was “moved with pity” for this widow who will likely (if not already) live in poverty now that her husband and only son are gone.
The support that Jesus shows for the poor is a common theme throughout the gospels and is similar to the story we had a couple of weeks ago of the rich young man who was told to sell all of his possessions to the poor to have treasures in the kingdom of heaven. I see Jesus’ unsolicited compassion in this gospel as an example of the compassion we should extend to help our society’s poor and less fortunate people.
Finally, through the resurrection of this man from Nain, Jesus shows us that we, too, can be resurrected even before he comes at the end of time by giving our lives solely to him and answering his call. Today, like he did to the rich young man, Jesus calls us to take extreme actions to help the suffering.
Prayer
Jesus, in the Widow of Nain’s grief you saw foreshadowed the grief of your own Sorrowful Mother. You reunited her with her son to foreshadow your Resurrection, and ours. Stay close to those who mourn, Lord, and comfort us when we are suffering, until that day when you will draw all your children to yourself. Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Januarius was a bishop who gave his life with his friends during a Christian persecution in the Roman empire. He is a best known for a recurring miracle that involves his relics.
Two deacons and a layman were imprisoned after confessing their Christian faith. Januarius was good friends with one of the deacons, and he visited his friend in prison. Guards noticed, and he was arrested, along with another deacon and a layperson.
Januarius and his companions were all beaten, and made to wear iron chains and march in front of the governor’s chariot. They were thrown into jail with the friends Januarius had originally visited.
The group of Christians were condemned to die by being thrown into an arena with wild beasts, but when this was carried out, the beasts could not be enticed to attack. They were sentenced to beheading instead.
This account of Januarius and his companions comes down to us from tradition, and it is difficult to know if it can be trusted. Best guesses indicate he died sometime around 305; the saint seems to have been honored from the fifth century and after.
There is a unique veneration of Januarius’ relics in Naples, where he was bishop. A vial of the saint’s dried blood stands in a reliquary in a church dedicated to him. Several times a year, on dates that correspond to events in the saint’s life and death, people observe the blood in that vial to liquefy, sometimes coming to froth and increase in volume. It is a miracle that has been examined carefully and no explanation has been found. In 2015, the blood liquified when Pope Francis made a visit, which was rare because it occurred outside of one of these special feast days.
Relics of St. Januarius rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Januarius, you are the martyr with miraculous relics who died for your friends and your faith, pray for us!