The greatness of humanity depends on its relation with the sufferer

Today's Gospel Reading (Luke 7:11-17)

It happened that soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, 

accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. Now 

when he was near the gate of the town there was a dead man being 

carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a 

considerable number of the townspeople was with her. When 

the Lord saw her he felt sorry for her and said to her, 'Don't cry.' Then 

he went up and touched the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, 

'Young man, I tell you: get up.' And the dead man sat up and began to 

talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe 

and glorified God saying, 'A great prophet has risen up among us; God 

has visited his people.' And this view of him spread throughout Judaea 

and all over the countryside

The greatness of humanity depends on its relation 

with the sufferer

Today, the mercy of God towards the needy is highlighted. The true
measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to
suffering and to the sufferer. This holds true both for the individual and
for society.

A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of
helping to share their suffering and to bear it inwardly through "com-
passion" is a cruel and inhuman society. Yet society cannot accept its
suffering members unless individuals are capable of doing so
themselves; moreover, the individual cannot accept another’s suffering
unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of
purification and growth in maturity, a journey of hope.

—O Jesus, help me to welcome the sufferer by taking up his suffering,
so it becomes also mine. Then, this shared suffering will be penetrated
by the light of love and we will experience the joy of consolation:
both of us —united in suffering— will find You, Who suffered on the
cross for us.