Loss does not have to consume us

I wonder at the widow of Nain, whose sorrow over the death of her son (Luke 7:11-17) moved Jesus to bring him back to life.

How loud must her shrieks have been to catch the ear of Jesus.

Or if she didn’t shriek, were her silent tears and the anguish on her face so painful that they split his heart? Did he think of his own mother, of the losses she would see and the heartache she would feel?

Loss does not have to consume us. I look at my mother-in-law, who has buried a husband and son and yet still can smile as she plays with her grandson. The Lord is giving us gifts. We have to live in the moment to appreciate them.

In a homily last week, Pope Francis reminded those grieving that Jesus experiences their heartache personally through the cross. He said the church, like a widow, mourns its savior.

"The Bridegroom is gone and she walks in history, hoping to find him, to meet him — and she will be His true bride. In the meantime she — the Church — is alone!" Pope Francis said at morning Mass Sept. 17, as quoted in a report by Vatican Radio.

Patience. We are promised the immeasurable joy of a reunion.

For the widow of Nain, a reunion came early, thanks to God’s mercy. Upon Jesus’ command, her son sat up and talked. What must they have talked about? What did he tell her? How did she explain? How did they live the next day, and the next day, and the next day knowing what happened? They must have been changed people.

Patience. Our reunions happen in the Eucharist. We are changed and changing people.

And there’s a fabulous feast to come.