Turning Weeping into Joy – Tenth Sunday, Year C, June 5, 2016

One among the shortest books in the Old Testament is the book of Ruth. It tells the story of a woman, Naomi, who lost her husband and her two sons. She was once full and ended up empty and she saw the hand of the Almighty behind those tragic events. How to live after such tragedy? Does life have still anything to offer? Today, the liturgy of the Word makes us witness two sudden deaths in the lives of other widows. Together with them we mourn the loss of their young sons. Their pain can only be expressed with the prayer taken from the book of Psalms: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are so far, my Saviour, although I. am groaning in pain” (Ps 22:2).

The mourning mothers weep and blame themselves for the death of their sons. They connect it with their own sins. Is God not “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation (Ex 34:7)? On the other hand, the sons, who went down to the pit, cry out to God from Sheol asking Him what profit was there in their death: “Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? (Ps 30:9). Of course not. “For Sheol does not thank you; death does not praise you; those who go down to the pit do not hope for your faithfulness” (Is 38:18).

“At the Cross, her station keeping stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last”. This is the first stanza of the famous hymn to Mary known as “Stabat Mater Dolorosa – the sorrowful mother stood”. At one point in her life, the blessed Virgin Mary was also a widow mourning for her only Son. Saint Joseph left them early in life and years later she saw her son nailed to the Cross. Then, she understood the prophetic words of Simeon. When Jesus’ side was pierced with a spear (John 19:34), Mary’s soul was pierced with a sword (Luke 2:35). That was the hour darkness.

“Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Ps 30:5). The stories of the widows did not end with the death of their children. God sent Elijah to a pagan territory of Sidon where people worshiped Baal, a god of rain and harvest. Yet, that god neither can provide for her needs nor bring her son back to life. What is not possible for false gods is possible with God. The presence of Elijah and his prayer did not only bring a child back to life but also led that pagan widow to faith in true God. On the other hand, the presence of Jesus did not only raise back to life the only son of his mother but also restored faith in true God among those who witness the miracle. Indeed, “a great prophet has arisen among us! God has visited his people” (Luke 7:16).

Both widows symbolise the Church, composed of the Jews and the Gentiles. The first deepened their faith, the others turned from false gods to the true and living God. The son of the widow of Zarephath represents those Gentiles who still worship false gods. The son of the widow of Nain stands for all those children of the Church, who fell under the power of sin again. The Church mourns them both and brings them to Christ, who alone has the power to take them from the shadow of death into the light of life. As Elijah stretched himself three times over the body of the boy and called upon the name of the Lord, so the Church plunges. her children into baptismal waters pronouncing over them Holy name of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit giving them birth to a new life. She also brings to the Lord those children who, once born to new life, died spiritually through their sins. The Lord has compassion on the Church and in the sacrament of reconciliation brings such children back to life.

Today, in the liturgy we also hear a testimony of a prodigal son of the Church, who – as he himself said – wanted to destroy Her (Gal 1:13). Saint Stephen was Paul’s ‘Elijah’. It was the prayer of the first martyr of the Church, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60), that obtained for the apostle to the nations the grace of the revelation of God’s Son and the gift of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles (Gal 1:16). The Church presented to Christ Saul, who was spiritually dead and the Lord in His compassion brought to new life apostle Paul. That experience set the direction of his life. Since that day, Paul lived to open the eyes of those spiritually blind, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ” (Acts 26:18).

When the dead sons opened their eyes and saw their mothers, weeping turned into joy. When the children of the Church move from death to sin into the life of grace, weeping turns into joy. When the mother of Jesus stood at the foot of the Cross darkness covered all the earth (Matt 27:45). Indeed, “weeping tarried for the night”, but joy came with Easter Morning and mourning turns into dancing (Ps 30:11). “O death, where is your victory?” (1 Cor 15:55). Filled with the joy of Easter, Magdalene wipes her tears of sadness and runs to announce that Christ is risen (John 20:11–18). In Christ Jesus, God has visited His people and decided to save us. Filled with this joy, we also sing praises to the Lord and give thanks to Him for ever (Ps 30:12).

Questions

1. Where do you see yourself in today’s liturgy of the Word?

2. Do you mourn over those who worship false gods and are dead in their sins? Do you see yourself as one of those dead sons?

3. Do you lead people to Christ so they can experience the joy of redemption? Are you Elijah to anybody?

4. Christ has defeated death. Have you wiped the tears of sadness yet? Does the joy of Easter fill your heart?