Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/538

 a still greater  miracle  is  related,  namely  the  calling  back  to  life  by our  Lord  of  a young  man  who  was  actually  dead. Elias, too,  (Old Test.  LXII)  raised  the  dead;  not,  however,  by  his  own  power,  but  by his  prayers;  for  we  are  told  that  he  stretched  himself  three  times  on the  body  of  the  widow’s  son,  and  prayed  fervently  to  God,  saying: “O Lord,  my  God,  let  the  soul  of  this  child,  I beseech  Thee,  return into his  body.”  And  at  the  prayer  of  the  holy  prophet  God  called  the dead boy  back  to  life. Therefore Elias  did  not  of  himself  raise  the dead, but  he  prayed  to  God,  and  in  answer  to  his  prayer  God  restored the boy  to  life. The raising  up  of  the  young  man  of  Naim  was  quite different. Our Lord  did  not  pray  to  God  to  raise  him  up,  but  commanded the  dead  man,  saying:  “Young  man,  I say  to  thee,  arise!”  and immediately the  youth  sat  up  and  spoke. It was  by  His  own  Almighty word and  power  that  He  raised  up  this  young  man,  and  He  showed thereby that  He  was  not  only  a Prophet,  but  the  Almighty  Lord  of life  and  death,  or,  in  other  words,  that  He  was  God. Elias prayed  as a servant;  Jesus  commanded  as  God!

The witnesses  of  this  miracle. Jesus  performed  this  stupendous  miracle on the  public  highway,  in  the  presence  of  many  witnesses. Two crowds of people,  the  one  following  the  body  to  the  grave,  and  the  other accompanying Himself,  heard  Him  command  the  young  man  to  arise, and beheld  the  dead  man  sit  up  alive  and  well. Is it  not  foolish,  therefore, of  unbelievers  to  deny  the  miracles  of  Jesus?

The Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  When  Jesus  saw  the  deep  grief  of the  mother,  the  Gospel  tells  us,  He  was  “moved  with  compassion”, and worked  a great  miracle  to  console  her. In all  the  troubles  of  this life, if  we  turn  to  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus,  we  shall  find  sympathy and consolation. Our Lord’s  example  teaches  us  that  we  too  ought  to comfort  the  afflicted,  especially  widows.

A work of  mercy.  To  perform  the  last  services  for  the  dead  and to pray  for  their  souls  is  a spiritual  work  of  mercy.

The love  of  parents  for  their  children, and  of  children  for  their parents. The  intensity  of  the  sorrow  which  overwhelmed  the  widow  of Naim  proves  how  much  she  had  loved  her  son. The love  of  parents for their  children  being  as  great  as  it  is,  children  should  not  repay their love  with  ingratitude,  by  vexing  and  grieving  them. The young man of  Naim  must  have  been  a good  son,  or  the  inhabitants  of  the town would  not  have  followed  him  to  the  grave.

The miracle  of  conversion.  The  fathers  of  the  Church  see  in  the raising to  life  of  the  young  man  of  Naim  a type  of  the  conversion  of sinners. The raising  up  of  a sinner  from  the  death  of  mortal  sin  is  a greater  miracle  of  divine  power  and  love  than  the  raising  to  life  of a dead  body. “The widowed  mother  rejoiced,  when  her  son  was  raised