Death and Hope

24th Week in Ordinary Time - Tuesday (18 September 2018)

1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31

Luke 7:11-17

"Young man, I tell you to get up."

In today's gospel reading, we read the story of the widow at Nain who was burying her only son. In those days, her son was probably also her only hope and livelihood. Jesus was struck by her grief, stopped the funeral procession, and returned the dead son alive to his mother. At first hearing, the text seems an almost cruel choice for grieving parents. Parents should not be burying their children. When they do, it is because of something really tragic—cancer interrupting a young life, an accident tearing someone away from their loved ones, or an unforeseen and untimely death.

It is not about death but an untimely death. All of us are destined for death, but an early death can dash the hopes and dreams of so many, including their dear ones. We can’t do anything about death, but God can. As at Nain, God can break through the hopelessness of this world. He can even use a death to bring growth and maturity those around us. He can open new possibilities. He can open the road towards new life!

The story may be of a physical death of a youngster followed by his resuscitation, but the story is more about hope. The physical death is only one among the many. What about the death of a marriage, when a couple get divorced, the death of a job when it is lost, the sad death of your plans for life? Many deaths occur much earlier than the final, physical one: drug addiction, alcoholism, cyber addictions and crimes, and many more like careerism, love of money, separation from family and friends, etc. Today's youngster may be dead in one or more of the above ways. She (He) needs the words of Jesus today: "O youngster, I tell you to get up."

What is missing in many a youngster is the encounter with Christ. S/he is in search of so many things, including God-experience. They may not like the term "God" or "religion," but they are in search of a genuine communion with the divine. Many of us, parents and elders, are only bothered about giving a good and comfortable life to our children and youngsters: perhaps a good education followed by a good job, perhaps all the material things they need for living a luxurious life. But are we bothered about providing them challenges and genuine experiences in view of a God-experience? I think some of us try giving them a devotions and pieties, but very often they don't quench the deep thirst of the young ones. Ready-made answers and conclusions don't satisfy a young heart, they need to see meaning in what they do or practice. Who fill our otherwise empty churches and worship places? Perhaps mainly the old people. We, as elders, priests, religious, and parents, have failed in offering faith in a meaningful way to the youngsters. Many of them are dead in faith because of our lack of interest, or our own lack of God-experience. We can't give what we don't have. When we love them truly we shall find a meaningful way in giving them faith and hope, because love is ever creative.

The hope revealed in the story at Nain challenges us to participate in the life-giving ministry of Jesus. Let us truly love, and give hope to our young ones, especially through our own authenticity and religious experience.