Reflection: "Young man, I tell you, arise!"

In the Gospel of Luke 7, the only son of a widow had died and was being carried out.  A large crowd was with her.  Jesus saw her and was moved with pity and said, "Do not weep."  Then Jesus moved forward and touched the coffin and said,

"Young man, I tell you, arise!"

Immediately, the dead man got up and spoke. Then Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized the crowd and they glorified God.

This morning, upon entering church, I noticed clumps of little yellow flowers which seemed to be sprouting out of the cement at the foot of the church stairs. Drawing closer, I saw there were beautiful little yellow pansies coming out of a crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of the church. I was struck by the beauty of God's creation and how God brings new life in unexpected ways.

God brings new life in our spiritual lives, as well. He is always near and He will make His Presence known, sometimes in unexpected ways. Have you experienced a loss or gone through a period of sadness, when someone speaks a word of comfort that lifts your spirits? Have you read a verse of Scripture which touched your heart deeply? Have you listened to the music during Mass and felt a surge of love come upon you? Have you received the Sacraments and experienced God's love in a new and profound way? Have you prayed for something or for someone and your prayers were answered? Have you prayed, in confident trust, that your prayers will be answered in God's perfect timing?

The story of the widow whose only son had died is a story of how Jesus makes new life out of death. He wants us to know that all things are possible with Him. He wants us to come to Him, as we are, and He will make new life in us. Jesus will bring new life to you, in unexpected ways.

Our hearts were made for love and God is always near and He waits for the perfect moment to come inside, to bring us new life. There may be times that we are not open to receive His grace. God will come, even through the tiniest crack or opening, like the crack between the sidewalk and the granite foundation of my church.

I was blessed to be at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Greg Staab OMV. Father has a very rare disease and has been in the hospital for more than 20 months. Every day, he celebrates Holy Mass followed by a Eucharistic Holy Hour. In his homily on the Gospel of Luke 7, Fr. Greg spoke about the widow whose only son had died. He said Jesus raised the young boy from the dead. In the Gospels, Jesus performed the miracle of raising someone from the dead only three times.

Fr. Greg said the greatest miracle occurs when a person goes to confession. He said, "Never stay away from confession. Go often and go immediately, if you have mortal sin." He said, "If your house is on fire, do you wait six months before you call the fire department?" Of course not. Fr. Greg said, "What would happen if you didn't clean your kitchen for a month?" If your house is on fire or if your kitchen has not been cleaned for a month, you can't wait. And so it is with your soul. Fr. Greg said confession is the place where a soul is resurrected from the death of sin to new life through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

God delights in you and He wants to do something new and unexpected in your life. Open your heart and invite Him in. Ask Him to help you let go of the things that keep you away from His Presence. He will come to you.  He will help you and He will bring new life in you. Go to confession and go often. Like the little yellow pansies coming out of the crack, Jesus will come into your heart and He will say to you, "Arise!"

My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.  Exodus 33:14