Details that reveal

The insight into the nature of God offered today by the texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary is about the importance of looking beyond the obvious and our tendency sometimes to trivialize details. The first letter to Timothy describes the characteristics of those who would hold the offices of bishop and deacon for each of the developing Christian communities of the time.  In the prescription of the behaviour and state of life of these people we can appreciate the value of being experienced in living as a follower of Jesus and as Friar Jude Winkler comments being able to manage our passion and self serving tendencies as we serve others as spiritual leaders in community.  In the psalm today, the leader, David, sets forth behaviour and association as important evidence of the commitment to live in accord with the will of God. The Gospel from Luke is the miraculous healing of the son of the widow of Nain. The first two texts today suggest that our practice of a life of integrity, humility and service will reveal God to us and the Gospel points to the deep compassion of Jesus for those who are the poor and desolate, as the widow of Nain is shown as one of the anawim of Yahweh  who are those blessed by God.  The journey with those blessed by God is the Christian journey.