Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 2:1.6-14; Matthew 6:1-6.16-18))
There are two transitions in today’s first reading. Obviously, Elijah is giving Elisha his authority
to speak on behalf of God. The younger
prophet will need a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to face the new
challenges of his generation. Elijah defeated
the threat of the Baalites to Israel.
But other false gods and empty promises will attract the people. Elisha will need to assert God’s ongoing
presence in their midst.
The second transition is the forever changing times. Things never stay the same but are always in flux. Seniors today recall the pre-computer
age. Television threatened the
development of children in the 1950s. Artificial
Intelligence reached instantly through smartphones has become the culprit today. Will our children overcome the challenges of
technology to remain peaceful and loving?
They can if they disconnect long enough to hear the voice of
God spoken within their hearts. He will
tell them not to worry about being better than others but try to serve the
needy. He will assure them of His love
but assert that the world does not revolve around them. He is at its center with the Son in the
Spirit forever making things new.
