Key words and phrases: kingdom of God, healed, gave, all ate, satisfied, fragments ... filled

To the point: The dead man was the widow’s only son. Naturally, she was weeping. Jesus, out of pity, raised the man to life again, who “sat up and began to speak.” He is alive! The crowd “glorified God” for the miracle. Little did they know how in an even fuller and more life-giving way “God has visited his people.” This God-man is an only Son, too. He, too, will die. He, too, will be raised up to new life. He, too, speaks. Then. And now, to us. He, too, gives life. Then. And now, to us.

Connecting the Gospel ...

... to the first reading: The widow recognizes Elijah as truly a “man of God” when he restores life to her dead son. Jesus reveals the presence and power of God when he raises another widow’s son from the dead. The sign that God is acting in our midst is that God overcomes death to bring new life.

... to experience: We think of death as final. We weep. Jesus establishes that death is not final, but is the beginning of fuller and everlasting life. For this we rejoice and glorify God.

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