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and the Gospel for that day and those of the Mass for
Thursday. In the two Epistles we have the miracles
worked by the Prophets Eliseus and Elias respectively
in raising the dead to life, and in the Gospels are record
ed the raising of the widow s son and of Lazarus. But
it was only after repeated efforts and by force of prayer
that the Prophets performed the miracle, whilst in both
cases recorded in the Gospel, our divine Lord had but
to give the command t
In the Epistle for Thursday we read how after the
failure of his servant Giezi, the Prophet Eliseus raised
to life the son of the Sunamitess. Eliseus shut himself
into the room with the dead child, and having prayed
to God lay upon the corpse, shortening himself as it
were to the child s measurement, that he might bring
it back to life. He had given his staff to his servant
Giezi, and ordered him to touch the dead child with it,
but that did not suffice ; and now he himself was obliged
a second time to cover it with his own body. All these
circumstances are symbolic of the labours of penance
which sinners must undergo before the life of grace is
restored to them.
In contrast to the miracle recorded in the Epistle,
the Gospel sets before us how Jesus, meeting the funeral
procession at the city gate, raised to life the son of the
widow of Nairn. These mourners had no longer any
hope, their sole thought was to put away from mortal
eyes the remains of one whom they had dearly loved.
But our divine Lord had pity on the sorrowing mother,
and exercising His supreme power to which all things
are subject, He restored her son to life. Thus will He
act at the close of Lent when, by the ministry of His
priests, He will restore to penitent sinners the life of
grace, and give joy to their mother the Church.