Homily for Tuesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel reading, we heard about a widow mourning the death of her only son. In that time and place, a widow would have no way to provide for herself; she would have to rely on her son. In this case, her only son had died. So, she may have been mourning for her son and the life of poverty and deprivation she saw as her future. 

So, Jesus' bringing her son back from the dead was not only a miracle of life after death. It was another example of Jesus' compassion for the poor, the suffering, and those who mourn. A compassion that many find lacking in our world today.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be His comforting presence to those in need. Through our words, actions, and attitudes, those suffering in any way, can experience the compassionate presence of Christ. May we always be open to God's presence within us so He can work through us whenever He needs to use us as His instruments.