Every Sunday, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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We all have days like Elijah. He was tired, probably a bit depressed, and not in a good state of mind. So he said, “This is enough, O LORD!” He even expressed a desire to die.
For many, the last year and a half has been a great trial and each of us have personal experiences from the past that have seemed overwhelming. Perhaps some of those reading this message today are in the middle of an extremely difficult time.
And we throw up our hands and say, “This is enough, O Lord!”
When Elijah fell asleep under the broom tree, he expected not to wake up again, but the Lord provided food for him. An angel woke Elijah up and pointed out a piece of cake and a jug of water that were miraculously placed beside him.
Elijah got up, ate, and walked for forty days and nights until he came to the mountain of God.
God urged Elijah on. God has a way of squeezing the last ounce of energy out of us by giving us the additional strength we need to move forward.
We continue to read through the great Eucharistic Discourse of Jesus found in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John.
Today Jesus once again makes it clear that he is the bread of life. He says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; … and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
So, whenever we feel like giving up, we must turn to Jesus who will give us strength. And that is why I like to think of the Sunday Mass as an oasis in the dessert — a place to be refueled for the journey ahead.
May we never give up on following the Lord’s lead. And, when we are tempted to stop moving forward, the Lord has a meal ready for us that is his Body broken for us and his Blood poured out for us.
One last thing. Elijah ate the cake of bread that miraculously appeared before him and he lived to make it to Mount Horeb. At some point, however, he eventually died. But those of us who eat the Bread of Life — the Holy Eucharist — are given a promise from Jesus himself. He says, “(W)ho ever eats this bread will live forever.” Good News for us indeed! News that is meant to be shared as food for a hungry and tired crowd.
Have a blessed week everyone.