1 Tim 3:1-13 / Luke 7:11-17
We live in a modern world that has progressed rapidly over the last century.
This progress is primarily in the areas of science and technology, as well as industry and even in the military.
So humanity has progressed but has humanity become more civilized?
The bad and sad news that we see and hear everyday may even make us wonder if humanity has gone mad.
The 1st reading begins with St. Paul quoting this saying: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work.
He then states the requirements for someone who wanted to serve in the community.
By the same token, in this modern world, to be a Christian is to want to do a noble work.
Christians have this mission of restoring the world to a civilized humanity.
In the gospel, as much as the raising of the dead man was a miracle, it was the humanness that must also be noted.
Jesus felt sorry for the widow as it was her only son, and that emotion showed the humanness of all characters in that gospel account.
And since God became man in Jesus Christ and He lived among humanity, let us also be truly human to each other.
Let us be compassionate, gentle, kind, forgiving and understanding towards each other.
Then we will know what love is when God became a human being and lived on earth.