EUTYCHUS FALLS ASLEEP (Fr. Varghese Paul, S.J.)

The author of The Acts of the Apostles, Luke is certainly an eye-witness to the story of the young man Eutychus. He has given us a first hand account in the Acts about Eutychus who was sitting by the window and listening to the long sermon of Paul at a Saturday night. Here is Lukes story:

On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal. Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was going to leave the next day. Many lamps were burning in the upstairs room where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window, and as Paul kept on talking, Eutychus got sleepier and sleepier, until he finally went sound asleep and fell from the third storey to the ground. When they picked him up, he was dead. But Paul went down and threw himself on him and hugged him. Dont worry, he said, he is still alive! Then he went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. After talking with them for a long time, even until sunrise, Paul left. They took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted (Acts 20, 7-12).

The many minute details of the story tell us not only about the young man Eutychus but also about the first Christians  the early Church - at Troas.

The early Christians gathered in a house late in the evening or Saturday night. Night must have been the only suitable time for the Christians to gather together. During the day they including slaves have to work and earn their living.

The young man sat at the window to listen to Paul. As I see it, there must have been two reasons for him to sit at the window. Good many people must have gathered to listen to Paul that the room was crowded. Then, the room must have been stuffy with the people as well as with the many lamps burning in their midst making the air humid. So window is a suitable place to sit to enjoy the cool air outside.

Then, Paul talked long, late into the night that the young man Eutychus in spite his trying to keep himself awake, fell asleep and fell down from the window of the third floor upper room.

Eutychus fall with a thud awakened the whole crowd listening to Paul including those who were dosing inside the room like the young man. Some of them rushed down to the count yard and found Eutychus lying motionless on the floor. They thought that Eutychus was dead.

Here Luke has described Pauls response graphically. But Paul went down and threw himself on him and hugged him. Paul brought back life to Eutychus and declared to the crowd not to worry or wail. He is alive!, he said.

Then, Paul went back to the upper room, shared the Eucharistic meal with all Christians and continued his farewell talk till early morning.

As they had planned, Paul and his companions left at sunrise. The crowd was relieve that young man Eutychus was alive  hail and hearty that they were greatly comforted.

It is interesting to note in the whole narration that the first Christians met not in a Synogue but in a house, in a family, both for breathing the word of God and then for breaking the bread, the Eucharist. Today Christians gather in Churches. But this passage reminds us that we are called to preserve the family atmosphere and the family spirit in our Sunday gatherings. Then, miracles like the resuscitation of Eutychus will take place in our midst. (contact the author: यह ईमेल पता spambots से संरक्षित किया जा रहा है. आप जावास्क्रिप्ट यह देखने के सक्षम होना चाहिए. )