Today's Gospel reading has its own value as a factual record of a miracle which Jesus performed. However, intriguingly, Luke may be using it as a parable pointing to another real fact which is not recorded in the Gospels.

That Jesus appeared to his Mother Mary after the resurrection and before all his other appearances has been part of Christian tradition from the earliest Church times. It is not recorded in the Gospels, but Christian piety has taken it for granted that Mary, who had given him birth and had stood beside his Cross, would be the first to encounter the risen Christ and receive the good news of the Resurrection.

Let us isolate the elements of this story of the widow's son: A widow, an only son, dead and being carried to burial outside the city; Jesus raised him from the dead and, significantly, gave him back to his mother.

As far as we know, Mary was a widow; Jesus was her only Son. He was crucified, died and was buried outside the city of Jerusalem.

When he rose from the dead, Jesus gave himself back to his Mother.