Sunday August 9, 2009

Date: Sunday August 9, 2009, 19th Sunday Ordinary Time
Readings: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:2-9
Ephesians 4:30-5:2 John 6:41-51

Elijah is downhearted. He had just defeated over 400 prophets of Baal and shown who GOD really was. He was recognized in all Israel (the Northern Kingdom) as the spokesman for God. Still the leaders of the Jews, the royalty and the priests prostituted themselves by also recognizing pagan gods and offering sacrifices to them. So, hungry and thirsty, Elijah laid under a broom tree and waited the death he had asked of God. However, God wasn't finished with him yet. God sent His angel to supply his need for food and water, so, he could complete the task set out for him.
Did you ever want to throw in the towel? Here you are, languishing, in a life, not of your choosing. It must be frustrating! However, like Elijah, God isn't finished with you. Perhaps this is the Rest and Recreation ( R & R) you needed to do His will. Recreation isn't JUST a fun time! It is a time to recreate your heart and mind so it conforms, not to your will, but, to God's.
The Psalmist reminds us who God is! We are to praise Him; Glorify Him. Those who know Him not will notice our devotion and may be moved to imitate us in holiness. God's angels surround us all the time. We can't see them because they are Spirits; however, they are always there as God's messengers feeding us with our needs and God's solutions for our disheartedness.
We can all imagine, when Paul was with the Ephesians forming the Church there, how he was careful teaching them to be imitators of Christ, as he was. Give up the customs of old! Bitterness, anger, unforgiveness are not Godly qualities. Malice brings only invective, causing estrangement from each other. Become like the image of God as we were created. Leave the un-virtues and put on love, compassion and caring. You may say to yourself, "That's work!", or, "I really don't think it'll do much good".
When Christ revealed Himself as the Bread of Life and without which life is nonexistent, His hometown neighbors, knowing Him from His youth and family, figured all His talk was a figment of His crazy imagination. After all, everybody, including His Apostles knew eating human flesh was cannibalism, contrary to the law, and, drinking blood was a strict No-No! (Lv. 6:26-27) So, the conclusion of Jesus' discourse on eating His Flesh and Drinking His Blood didn't go too well with some of His disciples. Some of them split from His Company. Others remained but were at a loss to explain what He meant until their minds were opened in the Resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Our Prayer should be for discernment of His meaning. The consecration of the Bread and Wine into the Body and blood of Christ, by our Priests, is not physical. However, the essence of God is truly present to us who believe. The discernment needed to understand this mystery is acquired by prayer and faith.