Epistle
Taken from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians
Gal 5:25-26; 6:1-10
Brethren: If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk. Let us not become desirous of vainglory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, even if a person is caught doing something wrong, you who are spiritual instruct such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let everyone test his own work, and so he will have glory in himself only, and not in comparison with another. For each one will bear his own burden. And let him who is instructed in the word share all good things with his teacher. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what a man sows in the flesh, from the flesh also will reap corruption. But he who sows in the spirit, from the spirit will reap life everlasting. And in doing good let us not grow tired; for in due time we shall reap if we do not relax. Therefore, while we have time, let us do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Continuation ✠ of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke
Luke 7:11-16
At that time, Jesus went to a town called Naim; and His disciples and a large crowd went with Him. And as He drew near the gate of the town, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large gathering from the town was with her. And the Lord, seeing her, had compassion on her, and said to her, Do not weep. And He went up and touched the stretcher; and the bearers stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. And he who was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. But fear seized upon all, and they began to glorify God, saying, A great prophet has risen among us, and God has visited His people.
Homily By Fr. Zepeda
On the Prayer of a Mother.
Today my dear friends, the Gospel provides us with many details, to illustrate two things:
1st, the Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Second, the Charity of a Mother for her son.
Our Lord was approaching the city of Naim, and the Gospel tells us that He was surrounded by a great crowd.
This, as many other details that the Evangelist tells us, is not an idle remark.
Our Lord was surrounded by a great crowd. Every common man, when He is surrounded by people, is not able to notice the little details, to pay attention to other people’s problems or sufferings.
If our Lord had been any common man, being surrounded as He was, by a loud gathering, He would never have noticed the procession which came out of the city, carrying a dead man.
Any common man would have been too concerned with His own name and fame, with his own glory. Any other man would have been concerned with trying to please the crowd.
But Our Lord was God. And in this instance He wanted to show us His Sacred Heart. His own character.
God, among all His Glory, among all the hymns of the Angels, among all the cares of the universe, Will pay attention to the poor and afflicted.
Lost in the crowd, mourning the loss of her only Son, a poor widow walked behind the coffin.
She didn’t ask for help to Christ. She didn’t ask for a miracle. But inside, Her soul was clamoring to God, begging for help and for pardon.
And look my dear friends at the Heart of Christ. For He alone noticed her.
The Gospel tells us: “When the Lord saw her, He had compassion of her.”
And this is a lesson we must take from this Gospel. Our Lord looks at us, and He has compassion of us, even if it seems that we are insignificant. Even if it seems we are not seen.
There is another lesson to be drawn from today’s Gospel. I would like to talk about the prayer of a Mother, for her child.
Today’s crazy political world has changed the name of Mother for that of “Birthing person”. And although the reasoning for that is totally evil, and no, we should call them Mothers, however, the words are very useful for my purpose today.
Every Mother is supposed to be, a person who gives birth, is true. But not just in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense.
You are supposed to give birth to your children for this human life, and then, throughout your life on earth, you must struggle to give birth to them spiritually. To bring them to heaven.
And that is just as painful and difficult, if not more than the first giving birth; but is also much more beautiful.
Remember good Mothers, that you must teach the Catechism to your children, you should never let a week go by, where you haven’t instructed them in the faith.
Remember good Mothers, that you must pray the rosary in family, and teach your children to pray it with you daily. Don’t shrink from that struggle. take it valiantly day by day. Take the complaints, the negatives, the refusals, and continue to bring your children to pray, regardless and joyfully.
Remember good Mothers, that you must not let your children by brestfed by the T.V., by the cell phone, by bad companies. Take them away from devices, from their video games. You cannot allow that usurper and impostor of a mother, to rob you of your sacred place, as the educator of your children.
Remember Good Mothers, to give to your children chores and labor, to put them to work, to hold them accountable. If you refuse to give them duties, you are refusing to feed their souls. You are starving them in their character and morals.
This good Mother could not let her son go. Even though He was dead, She continued to walk by his side, mourning and beseeching God for her son.
Her mourning and tears, and her prayers merited that God would listen to her.
But before that, her faith was put to the test. She probably prayed to God, asking to save her son. She prayed and prayed, and yet her son continued to get worse.
Eventually she saw her son agonizing and dying. And her pain must have been unbearable. It seemed to her perhaps that her prayers were not answered. It seemed to her that she had not been heard.
And yet, once her faith was tested, and she had to hope beyond all hope, God did listen to her. In a way that was much more to their benefit.
If God had healed her son, She wouldn’t have been out in a funeral procession. Neither her, nor her son, nor any of those other people would have met our Lord Jesus Christ.
But because God allowed her son to die, and delayed the answer to her prayers, through her sufferings and pains, she came to a much greater good and benefit. She saver her son, she met Our Lord Jesus Christ, Her son also met Him, and many other people came to the knowledge of the messiah, and eventually to save their souls.
No, your prayers are not ignored. Trust beyond all appearances, and know for sure, that God does not fail, And you Mother, as long as you pray for your child, your prayers are not lost. Even if were to see him die, as this Mother did, know for sure that your prayers are not lost.
You are seen by Christ. You are in the spotlight. He pays attention to your cares.
But it is essential for you, Mother, to never cease praying for your child. Never cease giving birth.
Wait for that moment, when after a lifetime of beautiful prayer for your children, of sacrificing for them, of delivering yourself for them, Our Lord will come, and deliver them to you, His Mother, and you will hear those beautiful words from His Lips:
“Weep not, your son lives.”
In Nomine Patris….
