Daily Gospel Reflection for September 17, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Reflection by Colleen O'Dowd

Today's Gospel: Luke 7:11-17

Jesus raising the only son of the Widow of Nain is a powerful story that teaches us exactly who Jesus is and what He is here to do.

A wise mentor of mine says that God is constantly reconciling, healing, renewing, and restoring the whole world unto Himself through the person of Jesus. And He is. We think the big resurrection story is Lazarus, or maybe Jairus’ daughter – but we forget about the son of the widow of Nain. Jesus does more than just bring these people back to life – he restores their family and social status.

In Jesus' time, widows with no remaining male children or other male relatives had basically two options: slavery or prostitution. Jesus didn’t just give this mother back her son. He gave her back her security. Her dignity. Her worth. Her belonging. Jesus ransoms her from a life of abuse, poverty, and servitude. That’s why Jesus has come. To rescue me. To ransom me. To reconcile me to Himself.

We are reminded of this funeral procession when Jesus, from the Cross, hands over His mother to John. We know John represents all of us and Jesus is giving us His Mother, but at a very primal, human level, He was officially protecting His mother, providing for her care, and, most importantly, saving and delivering her from the same fate as the Widow of Nain.

Jesus is a good son who loves His mother. He has a good heavenly Father and a good earthly father to show Him what that looks like. So do we – in and through the Holy Spirit. 

Ponder:

What in my life needs to be reconciled? Healed? Renewed? Restored?

Pray:

Lord Jesus, help me to see with new eyes the person in my life You have handed over to me to care for today. Help me to love the way the widow loved her only son.

Copyright 2024 Colleen O'Dowd

Colleen O’Dowd is a parish missionary at Our Lady of Ransom in Niles, IL. She loves being Catholic; her Converse All Stars, Crocs and socks are always liturgically correct; and she is a super-saint-geek! She blogs ultra-occasionally at www.ourheartswereburningwithin.wordpress.com and can also be found @catholiccolleen on Twitter and Instagram.