19TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR B)

1st Reading               1 Kings 19: 4-8

Psalm                          34: 2-3. 4-5. 6-7. 8-9 (R. 9a)

R://"Taste and see that the Lord is good"

2nd Reading            Ephesians 4:30- 5:2

Gospel                       John 6: 41-51

LISTENING TO THE DIVINE WHISPER

Dear friends, we have come to the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). We also recognise that we are in the second half of the liturgical year. The liturgical year is made up of 34 Sundays. As it is, we are reminded that we have come thus far and we only need to look back and be grateful to God for how he has sustained us. 

Let us say a few words about the Word of God for this Sunday. I would like us to stay within the context of decision-making. I choose this because the Word of God presents two levels of voices to us and our choice will decide whether we shall reach the end or not. 

The first reading from 1 Kings 19: 4-8 is a brief but interesting narrative, telling us about how God intervenes in human affairs. To understand the narrative we only need to go back a little and read from v. 1 of chapter 19. The context is simply that after killing the prophets of Baal, Elijah receives a death threat from Jezebel through her messenger (v. 2). Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. We are told that he was going to Beer-sheba. Beer-sheba is about 120 miles (193km) south of Jezreel, where Mount Carmel is. That is the mountain on which the Battle with the prophets of Baal took place. It will take close to 6 days to walk to Beer-sheba. 

Today, we are told that Elijah makes a journey of one day (YOM ECHAD—יוֹם אֶחָד) in the WILDERNESS in a bid to get to Beer-sheba. Tired and hungry he sought rest. He receives food twice from the angel of the Lord and journeys in the strength of that, the second food, for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the Mountain of God (v. 8). We can actually see Elijah as a figure of journeying Israel because as his journey is so akin to that of the Israelites. Elijah is under threat, walks through the wilderness, is faced with hunger and thirst and is given food, journeys for 40 days and 40 nights, and even goes to Horeb (or Sinai). Israelites were under threat in Egypt, walked through the desert/wilderness, were hungry and thirsty, journeyed for 40 years, and also received the Law on Mount Sinai. In fact, the figure of Moses is seen in Elijah. Moses ran away from Egypt at a death threat (Exod. 2: 15). The result is that he encountered God on Mount Horeb (Exod. 3: 1-15). We can also see that the WILDERNESS' (MIDBAR) emptiness expands in Elijah's heart. What is happening physically and outwardly to Elijah is occurring inwardly. The desert is associated with despair and crises. That is, similarly, happening to Elijah. 

Dear friends, I would like us to notice an interesting detail that points to two voices. These two voices could serve as the moving pivots for the narrative. These two voices lie in the figure of the MESSENGERS. 

Notice that Elijah ran away into the Desert because a MESSENGER from Jezebel brought a death threat. That could serve as the first part of today's story. The second part is orchestrated by the ANGEL OF THE LORD. In fact, both MESSENGER and ANGEL are rendered by the same Hebrew word, MAL'ÂK (מַלְאָךְ). 

The effect of the message of the first messenger is fear, trembling and death. Later, there is tiredness and hunger. These are the things that happen to us when we respond to the words of an enemy. In the final analysis, we are found to have obeyed a voice external to us. The voice external to us harms us. That is the messenger that challenges us. That messenger comes with a message to consider and get attached to the things that happen around us. When we get glued to them, we become slaves of fear and death. 

On a better level, there is an interior voice that propels us to continue the journey. That voice is the ANGEL OF THE LORD. This is not the first time we have come across the ANGEL OF THE LORD. "The angel of the Lord" often appears in the Old Testament for the blessing of God's people. He went before Israel into the Promised Land (Exodus 23: 20-23). It is the Angel of the Lord that strengthens us with food. He first restores us to grace by giving us the first food and grants us that food for the future journey. It is not within our means to choose which MESSENGER to listen to. 

I believe that it is a similar idea that runs through the Gospel passage from John 6: 41-51. We find the JEWS murmuring about Jesus simply because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven" (v. 41). It is interesting that these people are referred to categorically as JEWS. I want us to understand that this is the first time in John that the people of Galilee have been referred to as "The Jews", a term which generally refers to those hostile to Jesus at Jerusalem. It cannot be said that these are visiting leaders from Jerusalem because they know the local details of Nazareth village life as evident in their apt knowledge of Jesus' family, thus, "surely, this is Jesus, Son of Joseph" (Jn. 6: 42). 

These people are choosing denial of Jesus' statement on account of their knowledge of his human family and leaving the fact that he is the true bread. Simply, they are dwelling on the physical level to complain about the man. What amazes is that the complaint is among themselves. The Greek word used to denote "murmur" in that passage is GOGGUZŌ (γογγύζω), and it means to say something against someone in a very low tone. What we can make of it is that they are acting in secrecy. They are dwelling on external voices and they are getting confused, revealing their hostility. Jesus does not only tell them to "Stop murmuring among [themselves]" (Jn. 6: 43), but goes on to tell them how by making him an internal part of their lives, they will live forever, thus, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (Jn. 6: 51). The Lamb of God who, as it were, is seen as the angel of the Lord par excellence, gives himself as food for the journey. 

On this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), we have another decision to make. The extremes are clearly defined — the external messenger who instils fear, death, hunger, and thirst, and propels us to act secretly with Ignorance by murmuring among ourselves, and the internal messenger, the Angel of the Lord who comes to destroy the fear and urge us to by giving us the food that will suffice both to cater for lost graces and future graces. Regardless, as people on a journey, we have a target to reach the mountain of the Lord, Heaven, the new Sinai. We can only get there if we feed on the Lord's bread. The Eucharist is our very life, it is the pledge of eternal glory. May the internal voice of the Angel of the Lord guide us toward life, hope and eternal glory. 

Pax et Bonum 🙏❤️🕊