CT - Catholic Telegraph

Through Elijah, we see God takes care of us

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), I Kings 19:4-8.

In this reading, we have yet another narrative of God's care for those He loves. Elijah has just had a triumphal encounter with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. God had made himself known by accepting the sacrifice of Elijah after Baal and Asherah had been shown to be mere figments of their followers' imaginations.

After God's miraculous intervention, the Israelites killed all the prophets of Baal. In addition, God was now sending rain to bring a long drought to an end. Elijah should have been elated.

Instead, he is on the run, a fugitive once more, thanks to the implacable anger of Queen Jezebel. It seemed that he was to have no peace.

As our reading begins, we see Elijah heading south into the desert. He is tired and discouraged. He asks God to let him die. He feels that he is as good as dead already. "I am no better than my fathers."

Exhausted, he lies down under a broom tree and falls asleep. He is awakened by an angel who has provided bread and water for him, a welcome provision after the long months of famine. He eats and drinks and falls asleep again. A second time the angel comes with bread and water. This time God's messenger tells him that this food is to serve as his nourishment for a long journey that lay ahead of him. Elijah eats and drinks again and sets off on the 40-day journey to Mount Horeb.

The Lectionary reading does not give us the end of this story. Elijah is heading toward an encounter with God, an encounter that would parallel that of the Israelites several centuries before. The Israelites had met God on Mout Sinai, which was also known as Mount Horeb. The Israelites would wander for 40 years in the desert, Elijah would take 40 days to get to his meeting with God. Both were fed by God in the course of their journey.

In Elijah's contact with God, he would learn that God can be present without the wind and earthquake and fire that the Israelites had experienced at Mount Sinai. God can be present and active in the tiniest whisper. Elijah would also learn that there were still faithful people in Israel and that God had further important things for him to be involved in. Elijah's discouragement was not really appropriate.

The church intends this part of Elijah's story to be read and interpreted in the context of Jesus' bread of life teaching in the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. We have been hearing from this chapter in the Gospel passages for the last two Sundays, and we will continue to hear from it for two weeks after this Sunday.

In the Elijah story, we see God providing energy and direction for this weakened and discouraged man, even as God had provided energy and direction to the Israelites during their years of wandering.

Likewise, through the Eucharist, Jesus provides vitality and meaning to us weak and frightened members of His flock. Care for His loved ones is one of God's principal characteristics.

The Elijah story also reminds us that God's care for us always involves self-revelation on God's part. By caring for the Israelites in the desert, God taught them something about himself. By providing nourishment for Elijah and by bringing him into contact with himself, God helps the prophet to know Him more intimately and deeply.

In this Sunday's Gospel reading, we see Jesus telling the people once more that He himself is the bread of life and that all those who accept this bread would be brought to know the Father in a new way. "They shall all be taught by God," and through Jesus, will be brought into an eternity of togetherness with the Father.

Just about everybody experiences discouragement. Sometimes the demands that are made on us are greater than we seem able to bear. Sometimes our most carefully prepared undertakings fail and, instead of our being able to do something significant for God, we seem to end up with things in a worse state than they were before. Sometimes people we love and respect do not reciprocate. Sometimes poor physical or mental health make it impossible for us to do what we are expected to do. Sometimes it seems we can't do anything right. Sometimes it seems that nothing matters anyway.

We have all sat with Elijah under the broom tree thinking or saying, "This is enough, O Lord!" But the same Lord who took care of Elijah and brought him to a deeper level of knowledge of God also takes care of us and leads us into a closer contact with His goodness, a deeper knowledge of His love.

For reflection and discussion

How has God dealt with discouragement in my life?

What have I learned from God's care for me?