This weekend, we hear about the great prophet Elijah who lived in a troubled time wherein the people of Israel were stretched to a breaking point with a three-year drought (1 Kings 18:1). Even more challenging, Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife and the queen of Israel, was bent on slaughtering the prophets of the Lord (1 Kings 18:4). Such times help put modern-day challenges into perspective quickly!
Consequently, Elijah summoned people from all over Israel to meet him on Mount Carmel. He gave the 450 prophets of Baal home-field advantage, as the gently shaped mountain had long been associated with the pagan gods and the worship of Baal. For Elijah, it was time to choose. Against all odds, this lone faithful prophet knew that God worked with little things (small numbers, small people, little food, etc.) to do great things. For Elijah, while Israel had big problems, God was bigger.
Elijah’s confidence was vindicated as he offered a brief and simple prayer to the one true God (1 Kings 18:37). Fire from heaven consumed the bull soaked with water “at the time of the offering of the oblation” (1 Kings 18:36), that is, around 3:00 pm. As Christians, this sacred time is when our Lord Jesus Christ was consumed in divine love for the salvation of the world!
If the adventures of Elijah were made into a modern movie, the credits would begin to roll. However, the beauty of Sacred Scripture is that it presents both the gifts and gaps of biblical characters. The spiritual bull market of Mount Carmel soon became a bear, as Elijah, in great fear, fled for his life to Beersheba, the southern limit of Judah. He then headed another day’s journey (fifteen miles) into the solitude of the desert (1 Kings 19:4).
Poor Elijah! He was exhausted as he felt completely alone. He was in what St. Ignatius of Loyola called spiritual desolation. While God was certainly near, it felt as if He was absent. God’s little prophet had just won a major battle on Mount Carmel and ran over one hundred miles. He was emotionally and physically exhausted.
Thankfully, the Lord always responds to human suffering. First, God took care of Elijah’s physical needs. He allowed Elijah to sleep, which is a great reminder to get the basics right regularly (healthy eating, exercise, good friendships, getting outside, etc.). Next, God nourished Elijah when an angel touched Elijah and said to him, “Get up and eat” (1 Kings 19:5).
Elijah was then told to get up and make his way to Mount Horeb, or Mount Sinai, where Moses spent forty days and forty nights with God (Exod. 24:13). Whereas God had previously encountered Moses and the Israelites through a spectacular fire, God encounters Elijah in a much different way in our first reading today. God’s powerful displays of a strong and violent wind, along with the earthquake and fire, are reminiscent of Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:16–19). In short, it is God and not Baal (the so-called god of wind, earthquake, and fire), who is God.
Elijah experiences the intimate closeness of God in the still small voice (1 Kings 19:12). How often the Lord reveals Himself in the quiet moments of your life! St. Maximillian Kolbe once said, “Silence is necessary, and even absolutely necessary. If silence is lacking, then grace is lacking.”
Eventually, the Lord tells Elijah, “Get up and move! You have work to do!” (1 Kings 15–18). Instead of coddling His prophet, God sends Elijah back into battle. Oftentimes, the only way to overcome discouragement is to get back to what the Lord has called you to do! Moreover, Elijah had moved into isolation. Now, it is time to enlist others to help complete the task of eliminating Baal worship in Israel (1 Kings 19:15–17). God’s call to enlist others is a good reminder that our faith is a team sport.
Mother Teresa famously said, “God has called us not to be successful, but to be faithful.” Elijah’s mission was not to change the nation but to fulfill his God-given task. It was a task filled with moments of triumph and victory as well as struggle and feeling overwhelmed. And yet, through it all, the Lord graced Elijah with His presence and love and offered correction where needed so that Elijah could fulfill his mission. Be confident amid all the twists and turns of your life! Be assured that as God cared for His little prophet, He will do the same for you!
~St. Thérèse, pray for us!