Reflection – 19OTA – 1rst – Kings
Reflection – 19OTA 2nd – Romans
WRITTEN REFLECTION – 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE A – FIRST READING
The first reading today is from the book of First Kings, telling the story of Elijah’s encounter with God on a mountainside, where most theophanies (appearances of God to human beings) took place in the Old Testament. Our passage finds Elijah in a cave on the mountainside. But much has taken place immediately prior to this that we don’t hear today. Elijah (and his God Yhwh) has had a contest with 450 prophets of the god Baal. Elijah defeated the 450 prophets, who he then had killed. Their leader, the evil Jezebel, vowed to kill Elijah within twenty-four hours. Elijah was so exhausted and worn out that he prayed that he might die. He was commanded by an angel to eat and drink and then go to God’s mountain, Horeb. Instead he ate and drank and went back to sleep. Finally, after sleeping, eating and drinking a second time, he went as he was supposed to, although he still complained to God about the trials and tribulations of his life as a prophet. And that is the starting point of today’s reading. God promised to show God’s presence and majesty to Elijah. A strong and heavy wind, capable of crushing rocks came, followed by an earthquake and then a great fire. Powerful entities indeed, but God wasn’t in them. Finally, there was “a tiny whispering sound,” and Elijah knew he had encountered Yhwh. How often do we, especially in times of discouragement, seek God in great signs and wonders, while completely missing quiet, gentle signs that are everywhere around us?
WRITTEN REFLECTION – 19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, CYCLE A – GOSPEL
Immediately after feeding the five thousand men, Jesus made the disciples get into their boat and head for the other side of the Sea of Galilee, while he went up on the mountain to pray, to be alone with Abba/Father. The Sea of Galilee was about 150 feet deep, and 12 miles long by 8 miles in width and was 700 feet below sea level, surrounded by hills 1200 to 1500 feet high. Due to these unique conditions and abrupt temperature and wind-direction changes, sudden and violent storms were not unusual. The ancients, not knowing what we know today about weather, believed that evil spirits stirred up such condtions in order to punish humans. In such times they looked for stronger spirits to subdue the evil-wind spirits. Somewhere between 3 and 6 in the morning, Jesus appeared to them, walking on the lake. He was the answer to their prayers. At first frightened, Peter recognized the Lord after he spoke and then asked Jesus if he could go to him. As he did so, he was frightened by the strong wind, and began to sink, only to cry out for help from the Lord. Jesus caught him and uttered the famous line, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the storm settled down, and the disciples did him homage, realizing that he was and is God’s son. How often do we reach out to the Lord, but only after we have nowhere else to turn? Why not reach out always and everywhere, in any type of need? “Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”