THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (ALL SOULS' DAY)

1st Reading                  2 Maccabees 12:42-45

Psalm                            63:2-6, 8-9

2nd Reading              Philippians 3:20-21

Gospel                         Luke 7:11-17

DO NOT WEEP

Friends, Peace and Goodness! Today, we commemorate the faithful departed, which is called All Souls' Day. It is quite unusual to celebrate it today because today is a Sunday. In fact, it is supposed to be the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). This only becomes a very interesting incident because Sunday is regarded as the day of the Resurrection (Matt. 28:1; Lk. 24:1). The commemoration of all the faithful departed on a Sunday only deepens our belief in the resurrection of the dead. This is a sign of hope. Added to that is the fact that today is the first Sunday of November. Whatever takes the first positions opens the way to newness. The resurrection leads us to newness of life. In fact, November is traditionally dedicated to praying for souls in Purgatory. 

Let us now shift our focus towards the readings of today. Among many choices, I suggest we focus on Luke 7: 11-17. The first reading is from 2 Maccabees 12:42-45, and the second reading is from Philippians 3:20-21. The choice of the Gospel is propelled by the fact that we are in Year C, and the Gospel we have been focusing on is Luke. I suggest that we stay within Luke's Gospel for today. 

Luke 7:11-17 is the account of the raising of the son of the widow of Nain; one of the very interesting passages of Scripture. Prior to this passage, Jesus healed the Son of a Centurion in Capernaum. The author weaves in this narrative of Jesus raising the Son of the Widow, probably to inform us that Jesus has power even beyond sickness; he can raise from the dead. Luke, a physician and historian, is sure to be a master in telling these narratives. 

Let us focus on a few things about the passage in perspective (Lk. 7:11-17). 

The first thing we should look at is the name of the place. The author identifies that the place where Jesus did the miracle is called NAIN. The name is derived from the Hebrew "Nayin," which means "pleasant or lovely". Nain is also a fertile area because it is found in the foothills of the hills of Moreh (little Hermon). What it means is that Nain is a flourishing area. There is life in Nain. The issue is that the name and location of a city have a bearing on the life of the people existing there. It is expected that pleasantness (goodness) and life (the green nature) should be seen. The problem is that there is a widow in that city who becomes a contradiction of the expectation. Her only son is dead. She is not experiencing goodness. Instead of life, she has death. 

The second problem is that the person she lost her only son. The figure of a man in the life of a Jewish man counts greatly. It is the man who can defend and attract respect for the Jewish household. This person is not only a male figure but also an only son. This is only male child of the woman. We can imagine the gravity of the loss. 

The third thing is that even the woman is identified as a widow. If you lose your only son, it will be expected at least that you have a husband who plays the cultural role of masculinity. Even a husband, the woman does not have. The woman has lost virtually everything. This is death. She is different from the expected influence of Nain on her life. She is also very distant because she neither has a son nor a husband. She cannot speak. She is also very vulnerable and can be oppressed. 

The place of encounter, where Jesus met them carrying out the dead man, is also very interesting. The author says he met them at the "gate" (Lk. 7: 12). The issue is that when he is taken out of the city, he cannot return. He has been officially separated from their midst. In fact, the Law instructs that dead bodies are buried outside the camp or city to maintain purity (Lev. 21:1-4; 5:1-4). This young man is not only physically dead, but he is going to be socially dead because he is being taken out. More than that, the GATE to a Jewish city is more than an entrance. The GATE is a Judicial place. Elders of a city gather there to address cases. In fact, the gate is the life of a city; everything in the city revolves around a gate. The freshest news is heard at the gate. The GATE is a court. What is happening is that the woman, without a man to accompany her, does not have a man to speak on her behalf. The only person who can speak for her at the Gate, in the court, is lifeless. The death is not only about the young man, but also about the woman. 

The hope is that Jesus raised the young man (Lk. 7: 14). The Greek word translated as "arise" in the text is egeirō. Interestingly, it is the same Greek word used to talk about Jesus' rising from the dead (Matt. 28:6-7; Mk. 16:6). What it means is that the resurrection of Jesus is figured in his power to raise the young man to life. The fact of the raising of the dead is the prerogative of God. Jesus did it. This affirms that Jesus is God. Only God can raise the dead. Only God can raise our departed brothers and sisters to life. He is the author of life. 

When the young man stood up, the author said that he "began to SPEAK" (Lk. 7:15). The man who could not speak in the court because he had lost his ability and capacity to do so is now SPEAKING. We do not know the content of whatever he said. All we are aware of is that he SPOKE. That alone in many ways redeemed the woman. Jesus restored her hope. 

Friends, the loss of our brothers and sisters, as well as the loss of whatever joy we may have had, may have brought seeming hopelessness to us. Yes, it may appear to us that we are defenceless. However, the author of life meets us, and our faithful departed at the gate. He also meets you at the gate. Someone will also speak for you. Your hope will be enlivened. The hope of the resurrection of our faithful departed is also enlivened. 

Notice that a crowd followed Jesus (Lk. 7: 11). A crowd also followed the woman (Lk. 7:12). What do you think?

Pax et Bonum