First Reading: 1 Kg 19:4-8
Second Reading: Eph 4:30-5:2
Friends on this nineteenth
Sunday of the ordinary time we are continuing our Gospel passage from the sixth
chapter of St. John’s Gospel, which we have been reading it for the last two
Sundays and will continue to read it for two more Sundays. The passage that we
have today for Gospel is highly christological. Jesus introduces His divine
identity – Son of God – to the people. All of them murmur upon hearing that He
is the bread that has come down from heaven (Jn 6:41). Those simple people who
are acquainted with human origin of Jesus get confused. Jesus understands their
difficulty and tells them that to comprehend what He says they need the grace
of God: No one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws him (Jn 6:44). In the Old Testament, a promise is
made through prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel that God would make a new covenant
with the people of Israel which would be different from the old covenant. In
the old covenant, parents are urged to teach God’s law to next generation which
has failed miserably. Thus, God promises to make New Covenant, in which God
Himself will write and place His laws within the hearts of human person (Jer
31:33). There will be no need for the one to teach the other about God’s law,
for all will know the Lord. This placing of the law within the hearts of human
is the infusing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the counsellor. With this
grace, sins of humans are forgiven forever. This promise is getting realized in
Jesus who comes as the bread from heaven. Eating of Him and His words will lead
us to eternal life.
In the first reading, Elijah
is fleeing from King Ahab, especially from queen Jezebel who has vouched to
pursue his life. Elijah had carried out his prophetic ministry rather
exceedingly well. He proved the authenticity of the God of Israel and brought
to light the duplicity of Baal and Asherah. His passion for God and standing
for truth despite whole nation standing against His conviction was somewhat
extraordinary. He was very zealous for His God (1 Kg 19:10). Despite doing all
these marvellous works, He is not without discouragement. He wants to die as he
is worn out of defending the faith. He feels that he is as good as dead already
with his old age. Yet, God is not done with him. He sends an angel to feed him.
Twice the angel of God provides food for Elijah as he takes rest in the
wilderness. The purpose of the food is to strengthen him for the upcoming
journey which Elijah had to undertake. And indeed, with the consumption of the angelic
food, Elijah is able to travel forty days and forty nights to reach up to Mount
Horeb where divine encounter is awaiting (1 Kg 19:8). Thus, the food served by
the angel of God is not an ordinary food, rather a food with extraordinary
strength and energy. Similarly, the journey that we are in – life in this world
– needs certain type of food which would make us strong and robust. Just as
Elijah was heading towards to encounter God at Mount Horeb we too are marching
towards life after death, where in we will have the eternal bliss of encountering
God face to face (1 Cor 13:12). During this journey we need food that sustains,
fortifies and reinforces us. That food is none other than the Eucharistic Lord
Himself. The constant eating of Him in the Eucharist is the strength for us to battle
all temptations and distractions in life.
Manna sustained the Israelites in their forty years of journey in
the wilderness. The food of the angel strengthened the physic of Prophet Elijah
to go on a long journey. In all these we find the providence of God that guides
His people in moments of abandonment and desolation. Thus, let us not be
discouraged or despondent at the enormity of the evil and the temptations that
haunt us unceasingly. Always have recourse to the Eucharistic Lord through
regular communion and adoration. Praying in front of the Eucharist Lord has great
power to change the impossible. Pope Francis says that the problem today in the
world is not praying enough. As we are in the year of prayer, let us make it a
point to give good amount of our time in a day, especially on Sunday (the Lord’s
day) for the Eucharistic Lord by way of prayer and most importantly communicating
Him in the Eucharist as often as possible. May we always have recourse to the
bread that has come down from heaven (Jn 6:41).
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