Friday, June 10, 2022

 

Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

 

(I Kings 19:9a, 11-16, Matthew 5:27-30)

The “tiny, whispering sound” conveying the presence of the Lord to Elijah might be translated the “sound of silence.”  God visits him, as He does each of us, in the silent chamber of conscience where He tempers our pride and chastens our sloth.

 The Lord questions Elijah, “Why are you here?” He is being both rhetorical and accusatory.  God knows well that Elijah has chosen to run away from his responsibilities as prophet.  Elijah must speak the word of God in order to turn the people’s hearts back to God.  But the prophet only complains about his lot: the people have abandoned God, they have killed God’s messengers, and they are presently hunting down Elijah himself.  God, however, does not condemn Elijah for irresponsibility and endless complaints.  He re-commissions him to carry out His will.

 Sometimes we feel discouraged like Elijah.  Nothing seems to go right despite our efforts to please God.  We too complain about our situation and perhaps become cynical about our lots improving.  A generation ago Henry Nouwen wrote a pamphlet “From Resentment to Gratitude” which explored these feelings of frustration and anger that pervade contemporary life.  As an antidote, Nouwen prescribes humbly refocusing our perspective.  He writes that we must see “that our life is not an inalienable property to be defended but a gift to be shared.  Recognizing life for the gift that it is, we can leave behind our sulking to do God’s will.

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