{"id":1120,"date":"2013-06-09T11:50:59","date_gmt":"2013-06-09T15:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1120"},"modified":"2013-06-09T11:50:59","modified_gmt":"2013-06-09T15:50:59","slug":"10th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/10th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c\/","title":{"rendered":"10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C"},"content":{"rendered":"

10th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
\n1 Kings 17:17-24
\nGalatians 1:11-19
\nLuke 7:11-17
\nJune 9, 2013<\/p>\n

When we know someone who is suffering or we are suffering ourselves, we pray for miracles.\u00a0 This is good.\u00a0 We should always pray for anyone in suffering.<\/p>\n

In offering these prayers, we don\u2019t always get the miracles we ask for.\u00a0 In fact, sometimes we feel like our prayers don\u2019t ever get answered.<\/p>\n

Why doesn\u2019t God answer our prayers?<\/p>\n

Of course, there are the theological answers ranging from God knows what\u2019s best and won\u2019t give us something bad to we just need to trust in God.\u00a0 God will answer our prayers in accord with His will at the appointed time.<\/p>\n

These are not the answers we want but we can remember that we can indeed trust in God to take care of us.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to throw out a question, \u201cWhy do we ask for miracles?\u201d\u00a0 Generally, it\u2019s because someone we care about is suffering.\u00a0 That\u2019s good.\u00a0 Keep praying!<\/p>\n

Now, another question for us to think about is \u201cWhy does God do miracles?\u201d<\/p>\n

The simple answer is because God loves the people and wants to help them.\u00a0 It\u2019s true but this answer begs the question, \u201cThen why doesn\u2019t God help everyone with a miracle?\u00a0 Does this mean God doesn\u2019t love everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n

No, it doesn\u2019t.\u00a0 God loves everyone.<\/p>\n

Miracles are great in and of themselves but God also has another purpose in doing miracles.\u00a0 To understand this purpose, let\u2019s look at the last line of our first reading, \u201cThe woman replied to Elijah, \u201cNow indeed I know that you are a man of God.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Elijah comes to stay at the widow\u2019s house.\u00a0 After he arrives, her son becomes ill and dies.\u00a0 She blames this on Elijah.\u00a0 In turn, Elijah cries out to ask God to breathe life again into her son.\u00a0 God does the miracle through the prayers of Elijah.\u00a0 Through this miracle, the woman comes to understand that Elijah is a man of God<\/i>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the broader purpose of the miracle.<\/p>\n

Jesus finds himself in a similar situation in Nain.\u00a0 We are told the only <\/i>son of the widow dies before Jesus\u2019 arrival.\u00a0 Jesus is not blamed for the man\u2019s death.\u00a0 No one asks Jesus to do a miracle for the man.\u00a0 So why do Jesus\u2019 do this miracle?<\/p>\n

We are told \u201che was moved with pity.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 She was a widow and this was her only <\/i>son.\u00a0 In the culture of that time, a woman without a husband and no male children would have no means of owning anything and had no status.\u00a0 The widow would have been without any means to provide for herself.<\/p>\n

Jesus knows her dilemma and so, without being asked does the miracle for the woman.\u00a0 The miracle is good for the woman and her son.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also good for us.\u00a0 First, it helps us to understand that Jesus is indeed Son of God because we see the power of God at work through him.<\/p>\n

It also sets an example for us.\u00a0 We aren\u2019t going to do a miracle like raising the dead but we can remember how Jesus recognized the needs of the woman.\u00a0 Do we recognize the needs of those around us and do what we can to help them?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough.\u00a0 First of all, our first response to someone really in need might be to think what they need is money.\u00a0 Often, money is a big part of what they need but it isn\u2019t the only thing they need.<\/p>\n

Maybe they need food.\u00a0 Can we give some?\u00a0 Maybe they need a place to stay?\u00a0 Where might we direct them?\u00a0 After all, we aren\u2019t going to want to let a stranger stay in our own house, are we?<\/p>\n

We might also wonder who is really in need?\u00a0 Charity seems to be getting complicated.\u00a0 I myself choose to help others by given any more I wish to go to the poor to groups like Catholic Charities.\u00a0 Then, in turn, they can help the person with not just a handout but with a hand up.<\/p>\n

So, there are ways we can help with material needs.\u00a0 Maybe we don\u2019t have the means to help in this way or seek to do more.\u00a0 There is another need we can help with.<\/p>\n

We all need to know someone cares.\u00a0 The widows would have been left alone.\u00a0 God provided.\u00a0 Jesus was there at Nain.\u00a0 Do we let people in need know we care?<\/p>\n

Jesus died miracles so people would know of his love.\u00a0 Do we share that love with others?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

10th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C 1 Kings 17:17-24 Galatians 1:11-19 Luke 7:11-17 June 9, 2013 When we know someone who is suffering or we are suffering ourselves, we pray for miracles.\u00a0 This is good.\u00a0 We should always pray for anyone in suffering. In offering these prayers, we don\u2019t always get the miracles we …<\/p>\n

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