Is this Gospel too sad for a funeral?

It honors grief deeply and then proclaims Christ's compassion in the middle of it. Most families find that combination consoling rather than heavy.

Gospel Reading

Luke 7:11-17

"Young man, I tell you, arise!"

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Scripture text (World English Bible)

Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.” He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region.

Themes

the widow of Nain
Jesus' compassion for a grieving mother
young man, arise
raising the dead
Christ moved with pity

Reflection

This Gospel from Luke is one of the most tender in all of Scripture. Jesus encounters a funeral procession at the gate of Nain: a young man being carried out, his widowed mother weeping. The detail Luke includes is striking: "When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her." Before any miracle, before any word of the deceased, Jesus is first moved by the mother's grief. Her sorrow is what he sees first.

For a Catholic funeral, this Gospel sets the right tone. Jesus is not detached from grief; he enters it. He sees the grieving mother and is moved. He approaches the bier and tells the young man to arise. The miracle that follows is real, but the heart of the passage is in the compassion that preceded it. At every funeral, Christ is present in this same compassion. The bereaved family is being seen by him, just as the widow of Nain was seen.

The funeral does not include the same external miracle: the deceased is not being raised today, in the body, before our eyes. But the deeper miracle is happening. The deceased has been called to arise into eternal life with Christ. The Gospel proclaims, in narrative form, what the funeral proclaims in liturgy: that Christ has authority over death, and that he uses it gently, in compassion, in response to grief.

This Gospel is particularly fitting for the funeral of a young person, where the parallel to Nain is unmistakable. It is also a beautiful choice for any funeral where the family wants the compassion of Christ proclaimed first, before any other note.

Best for

·Funerals for young adults. The parallel to Nain is direct
·Liturgies where one or both parents have lost a child
·Families who need Scripture's direct witness to Christ's tenderness
·Funerals where the celebrant will preach Christ's compassion

In the liturgy

A medium-length Gospel; narrative in form. Reads aloud well with a confident lector. Particularly fitting when the celebrant is gifted at storytelling preaching.

Pairs well with

Frequently asked questions

Is this Gospel too sad for a funeral?: It honors grief deeply and then proclaims Christ's compassion in the middle of it. Most families find that combination consoling rather than heavy.

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