In today's readings it is the compassion and love of our Lord Jesus that moves Him to reach out to the young man in the Gospel who has died leaving his widowed mother all alone and heartbroken.  "Don't cry." Jesus said, and went over and touched the stretcher and said to the man, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"  And the dead man sat up and began to speak.  The large group accompanying Jesus was truly amazed and said, "This man is a great prophet!  God has truly come to us!"

Likewise in the first reading from 1 Kings 17, Elijah prays to God to restore the life breath of the little boy whose mother had given him a place to stay.  She was upset and asked if he was there to remind her of her sins and punish her by making her son die?  God heard Elijah's prayer and restored the life breath to the boy.  His mother rejoiced and said, "Now I am sure that you are truly a man of God, and that God speaks through you."

God alone has power over death.  People who worshipped God knew this to be so.  Therefore the little boy's mother was in awe of Elijah.  In the Gospel, the crowd of people who witnessed Jesus bring the widow's son back to life were themselves reminded of the old testament account of Elijah we have just read.  They, too, knew that only God has power over death and His words have great power.

Jesus and Elijah were both moved to act because of their love and compassion.  They were not asked to heal the two sons, nor asked to bring them back from death.  In all things it is God reaching out to us in mercy, love and compassion wanting to heal us, and save us from death, death in sin which is a final death.  God desires to save us and has provided and opened heaven under our feet to take us in.  We continue to live, though, as though God has opened hell under our feet!  God has not given us death through Jesus, but LIFE!   The Psalm reflects the gratitude we should express for God's saving power and love!

The Psalm this week is Psalm 30:  I Will Praise You Lord  Left hand side is the music sample, right hand side the lead sheet.

Have a very blessed week!