Thursday, March 23 : Saint Augustine

Let no one who is Christian doubt that even now dead people rise. Certainly, every human being has eyes by which he can see dead people rising in the way this widow’s son whom we just heard about in the gospel rose. But not everyone can see people who are spiritually dead rise. For that, it is necessary to have already risen interiorly. It is greater to raise someone who is to live forever than to raise someone who will have to die again. The young man’s mother, this widow, was transported with joy at seeing her son rise. Our mother the Church also rejoices when she sees her children’s spiritual resurrection every day. The widow’s son was dead with the death of the body; but these latter are dead with the death of the soul. People wept tears over the visible death of the former; but people were not concerned by the invisible death of the latter; they didn’t even see it. The only one who did not remain indifferent is the one who knew these deaths; only the one who could give life back to them knew these deaths. For if the Lord had not come to raise the dead, the apostle Paul would not have said: “Awake, O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” (Eph 5:14).

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team