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The Time After Pentecost
that we be delivered from eternal damnation and numbered among the flock of Thine elect”
(Canon of the Mass). Now He comes. With divine power He changes the bread into His flesh
and the wine into His blood, and offers them to the eternal Father in order that we and all who
desire it may obtain the gift of life, and that this life may increase and grow. If our mother were
to fail us, if she stood not at the side of her dead children, praying and offering up sacrifice for
them, there would be no resurrection to life for these miserable ones. But this merciful service
is rendered to us by Holy Mother the Church. Many of her children reject her, cast her aside,
deceive her, and hate her; but she will not be prevented from standing at the bier of her dead
children. She will go forth to meet the Lord, and He will approach the bier full of compassion.
He will touch it and awaken the dead one to life. This work is accomplished by the Church as
often as she offers the Holy Sacrifice and as often as she takes the book of the Divine Office into
her hands and prays in the name of sinners and unbelievers, who will not pray for themselves.
If only she stands at our bier and prays over us, we are safe. The prayer of the Church restores
us to life and saves mankind from destruction.
“I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings
be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in high station, that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth” (1 Tm 2:1–4).
We follow the widow of Naim. “A great multitude of the city were with her.” We are members
of that throng. We share the sadness and tears of this good mother during the celebration of
the Holy Sacrifice, during the recitation of the Divine Office, and during our private devotions.
The privilege of praying is given to us, not merely that we should pray for ourselves, but rather
that we may promote the welfare of the Church and the spiritual good of others.
We unite ourselves with this mother and join our prayers to hers. The more intimate our
union with her in prayer and sacrifice, the more perfectly our duty of promoting the welfare of
others will be performed, and the more perfectly we will carry out our obligation of awakening
life in others and of increasing their spiritual growth.
Prayer
Let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church, we beseech Thee, O Lord; and because
it cannot continue in safety without Thee, govern it evermore by Thy help. Through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Tuesday
“And when He came nigh to the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his
mother, and she was a widow. And a great multitude of the city was with her” (Gospel). For the
liturgy, the widow of Naim is a type of the Church at prayer. The same is true of the multitude
of people who accompanied the widow and mourned and prayed with her. They are a type of
the multitude of parents, priests, and teachers who mourn for and pray for their errant children,
for those who are spiritually dead, for those who are in error, for those who are wicked, and for
those who are dead. The Lord meets them also in the way and consoles them: “Weep not.” He
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