The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the events of our lives that resonate with a prompting of the Spirit to seek life more fully.
The reading from the Book of Sirach praises the life of Elijah.
* [48:11] Verse 11b is not extant in the Hebrew; it is represented in the Greek tradition by “for we too shall certainly live.” But this can hardly be the original reading. (Sirach, CHAPTER 48, n.d.)
Psalm 80 is a prayer for Israel’s Restoration.
* [Psalm 80] A community lament in time of military defeat. Using the familiar image of Israel as a vineyard, the people complain that God has broken down the wall protecting the once splendid vine brought from Egypt (Ps 80:9–14). They pray that God will again turn to them and use the Davidic king to lead them to victory (Ps 80:15–19). (Psalms, PSALM 80, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains the Coming of Elijah.
* [17:9–13] In response to the disciples’ question about the expected return of Elijah, Jesus interprets the mission of the Baptist as the fulfillment of that expectation. But that was not suspected by those who opposed and finally killed him, and Jesus predicts a similar fate for himself. (Matthew, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)
Steve Scholer comments that true friends are hard to come by. It takes time and energy to find and keep someone with whom we feel totally comfortable spending time. Friends are the ones who help build our confidence to overcome the challenges we face daily and the ones with whom we will discuss our deepest fears and longings.
As we continue our Advent journey, let us not forget that friendship is a two-way street. Take the time to let your friends know how important they are in your life, and how much you value their friendship, and especially Jesus, the best friend anyone could ever want to have. Then, like Elijah’s friend, we, too, will realize how blessed we are to fall asleep each night with Christ as our friend. (Scholer, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “John fulfills Elijah's prophetic ministry,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"They did not know this from the Scriptures, but the scribes used to tell them, and this saying was reported among the ignorant crowd, as also about Christ. Therefore the Samaritan woman also said, 'The Messiah is coming; when he comes, he will show us all things' (John 4:25). And they themselves asked John, 'Are you Elijah or the prophet?' (John 1:21). For this opinion was strong, as I said, both the one about Christ and the one about Elijah, but they did not interpret it as it should have been. For the Scriptures speak of two comings of Christ, both this one that has taken place and the future one. Paul spoke of these when he said, 'For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright and godly lives in this world' (Titus 2:11-12).
"Behold the first advent, and listen to how he declares the coming advent: 'Awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ' (Titus 2:13). The prophets also mention both advents; of the one that is second they say that Elijah will be the forerunner; John was forerunner of the first, John whom Christ also called by the name Elijah, not because he was Elijah but because he was fulfilling Elijah's ministry. For just as Elijah will be the forerunner of the second advent, so John was of the first. But the scribes, confusing these things and perverting the people, mentioned that coming alone, the second one, to the people, and said, 'If this is the Christ, Elijah ought to have come first.' That is why the disciples also say, 'Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?'" (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 57.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 17:9-13 asks why do we still say and do things that cause divisions among us? The simple answer is that we are still sinners. This would be discouraging news if Jesus had left us on our own. But he didn’t. He gave us the Spirit to help us. When we give in to temptation, the Spirit convicts us of our sin and moves us to repent. And as John knew, repentance prepares us to receive the forgiveness that Jesus came to give us. It restores us to the Father time and again.
Every day, ask the Spirit to help you search your heart. When you realize you have sinned, repent—immediately. Go to Confession if necessary. If you have hurt someone, ask for their forgiveness and try to reconcile. As you do these things, the Holy Spirit will work in your heart in a deeper way. He will reveal more of God’s love, both for you and for every person you encounter.
“Holy Spirit, help me to recognize my sins so that I can repent and come back to the Father!” (Meditation on Matthew 17:9-13, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the Sirach passage was written during the time of Greek influence on Israel to show that Hebrew heroes and wisdom was as great as Greek culture. Jesus presents John the Baptist as the one who appears as the return of Elijah. Friar Jude reminds us of the mission of the Baptist to proclaim the Way back to the Lord.
Brian McLaren comments that Father Richard Rohr invites us to find an embodied method of prayer as a way to participate more fully in our faith. The spiritual question is this: Does one’s life give any evidence of an encounter with God? Does this encounter bring about through us any of the things that Paul describes as the “fruits” of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22)? Are we any different from our surroundings, or do we reflect the predictable cultural values and biases of our own group?
The “participatory turn” of faith is learning from concrete practices, personal disciplines, and interactive dialogues that change the seeker and allow and encourage the encounter itself. Many Christians today are rediscovering prayer beads, prayer of quiet, icons, contemplative sits, Taizé chants, charismatic prayer, walking meditation, Zen chores, extended silence, solitude, and disciplined spiritual direction. Up until now, someone could have a doctorate in theology as a Catholic or Protestant and not really know how to pray or even enjoy prayer or experience union with God. They could recommend it officially to others and maybe even define it; now we know that we must personally live our faith.
Today, find some way to dive into your faith and experiment with ways of opening yourself to transformation, to encounter, to conscious participation in God. (Rohr, 2022)
We are influenced daily by our interactions with others and with events that nudge us towards a deeper appreciation of our gifts and giving as children of God.
References
Matthew, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/17?9
Meditation on Matthew 17:9-13. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/12/10/551751/
Psalms, PSALM 80. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/80?2
Rohr, R. (2022, December 10). Faith: Weekly Summary — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/faith-weekly-summary-2022-12-10/
Scholer, S. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/121022.html
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Elijah Must First Come. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=dec10
Sirach, CHAPTER 48. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved December 10, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/48?1
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