Quinta infra Hebdomadam XV post Octavam Pentecostes – III. Septembris (IV. classis)
Epistle: Galatians 5:25–26; 6:1–10
Gospel: Luke 7:11–16
“Let us not be made desirous of vain glory” (Gal. 5:26) – Life in the Spirit and the Raising of the Widow’s Son
The Epistle and Gospel for this day, though seemingly disparate, share a hidden harmony—both unveil the gentle power of divine charity: in the Epistle, working in the life of the believer, and in the Gospel, radiating from Christ in the restoration of life.
St. Paul exhorts the Galatians to walk in the Spirit, not merely to live by Him. It is not enough that we have been quickened by grace; we must order our steps according to it. The Fathers see in this a call to active sanctity. As St. Augustine notes, “We are not to live in the Spirit as if it were a possession we merely have, but to walk in it, as in a path we follow” (cf. In Epistolam ad Galatas, PL 35).
Thus, the Apostle urges vigilance against vain glory—a sin especially dangerous among the religious and the learned. Vain glory infects not only the individual soul, but the fabric of Christian fellowship. It leads, as St. Paul writes, to provoking one another, envying one another (Gal. 5:26). St. John Chrysostom warns: “Where there is no humility, even good deeds are corrupted by pride” (cf. Hom. in Gal.).
The countermeasure, then, is charity expressed in bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), fulfilling “the law of Christ.” This is no mere human compassion, but the active, self-giving love which flows from Christ’s own heart. St. Bede the Venerable observes: “He bore our burdens when He carried the Cross; and we, if we are to be His, must carry the weight of others’ frailty, not as judges but as brothers” (cf. Super Epist. ad Gal.).
This fraternal charity finds its perfect icon in the Gospel of the widow of Naim. There, Christ meets death and overcomes it—not by thunder or might, but by pity. “And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said to her: Weep not” (Luke 7:13).
Here, St. Ambrose marvels at the tenderness of the God-Man:
“He who is the Resurrection and the Life did not wait to be asked. He was moved by sorrow; He commanded with majesty, but He acted with mercy. What else is this but the tenderness of God?”
(Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, V, 89)
In this miracle, Christ touches the bier—what the Law forbade, He does freely, for in His touch death is reversed. This action recalls the spiritual resurrection described in the Epistle: “If a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness” (Gal. 6:1). Just as Christ stoops to raise the dead son, so must the spiritual Christian stoop to raise the fallen brother—not with harshness, but with the compassion of Christ.
In both texts, the Lord shows that life in the Spirit is inseparable from works of mercy. Charity is not sentiment but action—”let us not be weary in well doing” (Gal. 6:9), for “in due time we shall reap.” St. Gregory the Great instructs:
“We must never think our small deeds are useless; the Lord watches, and the harvest is His to give. He waits to be gracious, but He does not forget the sower” (cf. Hom. in Evang., 32).
So then, as the widow rejoiced in the restoration of her son, so the Church, the true Widow whose Spouse is in heaven, rejoices whenever one soul is raised from sin. Let us not seek the glory of men, but the secret joy of those who walk in the Spirit, carry the burdens of the weak, and act always with the mercy of Christ.
Points for Meditation
- Do I carry the faults of others patiently, as Christ bore the Cross for me?
- When I correct others, do I do so in the “spirit of meekness” (Gal. 6:1), or with pride?
- Do I grow weary in the hidden, small acts of charity? Am I willing to wait for the “due season” of God’s reward?
Prayer
O Lord, who didst raise the son of the widow and bring comfort to her desolate heart, grant that we, quickened by Thy grace, may walk in the Spirit and abound in works of mercy. Let not vain glory stain our intentions, but teach us to carry the burdens of others in the spirit of true charity, that we may fulfill the law of Christ and rejoice in the harvest of life eternal. Amen.