In the Gospel today, Jesus raised Jarius’ daughter from the dead. Recall also that He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, who had died four days earlier and whose body would have even had a stench to it. Jesus raised the son of a widow from Nain. Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” When Jesus died on the Cross, scripture tells us that saints who were dead, were raised to life and came out of the tombs. After Our Lord’s own death on the Cross, He raised Himself from the dead, to show us, He has power over death and power over life.
As Catholics we believe at the end of the world, there will be the resurrection of the dead, which we pray in the Apostle’s Creed. At the end of the world, whether anyone is living or dead, will receive a new resurrected body. And those who have died will rise out of the ground. All in heaven and even those in hell, he will receive their resurrected body. In heaven, it will be their glory, but those who are in hell, it will add to their torture.
Do you recall God used Elijah to raise a man from the dead? St. Peter raised a woman by the name of Dorcas from the dead. St. Paul raised a man from the dead, who fell out of a third story window.
Fr. Albert Hebert, wrote a book called Saints Who Raised the Dead, 400 True Stories. Some saints who have raised people from the dead include St. Francis Xavier, St. Patrick, St. Don Bosco, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Rose of Lima, St. Teresa of Avila, Blessed Margaret of Castello.
In Lisbon, Portugal, a boy called Parrisio decided to go on a boat trip with other boys, but without telling his parents. Suddenly, a violent storm breaks out and the boat capsizes. The older boys knew how to swim, managed to save themselves, but Parrisio drowned. Upon hearing this tragedy, the boy’s mother ran to the beach and pleaded with the sailors to recuperate the body. They lowered their nets and soon were able to draw out Parrisio’s lifeless body, which they gave to the desperate mother. On the next day the family wanted to take the body to church for the funeral and subsequent burial, but the mother did not allow this. She continued to pray to St. Anthony of Padua, promising that if her child were brought back to life she would consecrate him to the Franciscan Order. On the third day, in front of his parents and relatives, the boy suddenly awoke as though from a deep sleep; the mother’s prayers to the Lord, through the intercession of St. Anthony, had been answered. When he became older Parrisio entered the Franciscan Order.
In the United States, there was a miracle of raising a child from the dead, about 10 years ago, in 2011. A stillborn boy, from Goodfield, Illinois, was dead for 61 minutes and without any heartbeat, when his mother kept praying to Bishop Fulton Sheen and suddenly the boy’s heart began to beat. Today, the boy is 10 years old. This miracle of raising the boy from the dead through Fulton Sheen’s intercession has been approved by the Vatican, which will lead to his beatification.
Today, let us trust in God’s infinite power, that He can and will raise us all from the dead. May we turn to resurrected Jesus in the Eucharist and ask Him for special graces to help others to believe, that He truly is the Resurrection and the Life, and those who believe in Him, will live forever. As Our Lord said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will live forever, and I will raise Him on the last day.”
