A LIFE – GIVING GOD!

TENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

1 Kgs 17: 17 – 24 / Ps 30 / Gal 1: 11 – 19 / Lk 7: 11 – 17

I am 100% sure that no one among you wants to the sing the song of Akon, “lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely. I have nobody for my own. I’m so lonely, I’m Mr. lonely. I have nobody. I’m so lonely.” Why? Because no wants to be lonely. To be lonely is like dying early. No wonder, if you feel alone, then, you say to your loved one, “I won’t last a day without you for lonely is the night when I’m not with you.” Indeed, nobody wants to be lonely.

Loneliness is also the experience of the two widows in our readings today. In our first reading, the widow of Zarephath blamed Elijah for the death of her only son. In our Gospel reading, Jesus upon entering the city of Nain met the widow whose dead son was carried out of the city. What a lonely life for these widows. Nawad-an na gani sila’g mga bana, nawad-an pa gyud sila’g mga anak! However, we learned later that after Elijah stretched his hands and prayed to God, the child’s breath returned. Jesus, too, in our story, touched the coffin and said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” And the dead man rose and began to speak. Reflecting from our readings today, we realize that our God is a God who delivers us to life. We have a life- giving God! And so, we must remember that anything that does not give life does not belong to God.

My dear friends, our gathering together every Sunday for the Eucharist is not a mere obligation to Church law. Rather, we gather together for the Sunday Eucharist in order to remind ourselves of our life- giving God. Every Sunday, we remember that first Easter Sunday, when Jesus rose from the dead, when life defeated death. And remember, every Sunday, too, we receive Jesus, the Bread of life. No wonder, the best antidote to being lonely is the community. Every Eucharist, we gather around the table of the Lord not as individuals but as a community. And so, we can also say, that the Sunday Eucharist is the antidote to loneliness.

Now, after having been nourished by the Sunday Eucharist and having been healed from loneliness by Jesus, the Bread of Life, we are also challenged to be like Paul in our second reading today to preach this life-giving God to all nations. And in our case, the family must become the first recipients of such a grace. How? By being life-giving ourselves! Fathers can be life-giving if they work hard for the family. Mothers can be life-giving if they take care of the home. Children can be life-giving by respecting their parents. I hope that in the family, the life-giving words of “Thank you, I’m sorry, and I love you” continues to be heard until today ug dili puro nalang pamalikas ug mga away. When the family becomes life-giving then loneliness has no place in the family.

A story is told of a community in Negros Oriental whose Catholic faith is becoming “lonely.” Most of them have transferred to other faiths. And so, there was this retired public school teacher who went out of her way and slowly brought back to the faith those who have changed court. She did it by sending everyday her neighbors short letters about the faith. After some time, everyone was back in the Catholic fold. My dear friends, that teacher is an example of a life-giving Christian. Through her, she brought back to life the dying Catholic faith.

Sam Smith once sang this song for us, “I don’t need diamonds, I don’t need jewels. I don’t need suggestions, in the lonely hour, I need you.” My dear friends, in moments of loneliness, may we also say to God, I don’t need diamonds, jewels, and suggestions. I simply need you. However, let us also combat the loneliness of sin by being life-giving to one another. Amen!