More often than not his call “I say to you, rise!” goes unheeded and disobeyed.  In the past they have received much from our Blessed Lord but now it all means nothing.  They have become hardened to the Gospel, insensitive to the supernatural and indifferent to or even contemptuous of the things of God.  So supernatural death sets in.  And there is a warning here for us all.  One can drift away from God so easily.  Each man and woman is ultimately responsible for the salvation of his or her own soul, and our Blessed Lord will force no one.  

But the Church’s prayers do not go wholly unanswered.  There are those in whom, perhaps when their youth is almost spent, the spark of spiritual life is rekindled, and is gradually fanned to a flame again.  Jesus touches their hearts and in response to his call, “I say to you, rise!” they begin that return to their life with God.  Like the widow’s son at Nain they “sit up”, and later will be able to stand again, firm in the Faith.  They “begin to speak” in prayer and penitence to God after a long, long silence.  And then our Blessed Lord delivers them to their Mother the Church, to be guided by her truth, taught by her wisdom, fed by her Sacraments and supported by her fellowship.

It is therefore our duty as members of the Church to pray for her lapsed sons and daughters and especially those who are personally known to us.  Christian prayer calls forth from God his awakening and enlivening power.  By helping to bestow that power on them, we are joining with our Blessed Lord in his work for the salvation of their souls.

References

1. From the Collect for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity: © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England (2000) Common Worship Collects and Post Communions in Ordinary Time, Contemporary Language   Available from: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-worship/worship/texts/collects-and-post-communions/contemporary-language/postwhit.aspx  (Accessed 02 June 2016) (Internet).

2. Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo (345-430) translated and edited by Outler, A.C. Confessions and Enchiridion, Book 3, Chap 11, Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library.  Available from: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/confessions.pdf  (Accessed 02 June 2016) (Internet).