Homily: August 11, 2024, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary time (Elijah Bread)

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 "This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers."

In the first reading, prophet Elijah, who was a superstar in the earlier chapters, who called down fire from heaven and defeated the false prophets, was now feeling depressed with his life, asking God to grant him death.

Having defeated the false prophets and showed Israel that the God of Israel is the true God, he then killed all four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and four hundred prophets of Asherah, supported by Queen Jezebel. She vowed to kill Elijah, and thus he ran away.

One moment he was a hero, feeling proud to be God’s prophet, next moment within just a few days, he was on the run. But now he was tired out, he could not continue, he cried out in utter despair, feeling helpless and hopeless, and lifeless.

Then God reached out to him and provided him with food. It was just two meals of simple bread and water, but it was enough to get him walking in faith and strength for the next forty days and nights until he reached the mountain of God.

What kind of bread was that which could give Elijah such energy, not just to uplift his depressed spirit but also to fuel him for the long journey ahead?

Don’t you wish you had such food? I do wish I could have it, so that I don’t feel tired out, so I can go on and on and on, with confidence, with energy.

Life here on earth is a pilgrimage full of challenges. I have not met anyone who had a totally smooth and easy life, without any difficulty ever. Every one of us would have had some joyful moments, and some difficult times surely. This is after all not our permanent lodging. We are on our way to our true home.

Like Elijah, oftentimes we simply feel exhausted and tired, depressed and despondent, we might not want to continue, we might feel helpless, everything looks hopeless, and after fighting against so many odds, we probably feel lifeless.

We want to stop, let go of everything and just drop dead.

But we know we must keep going, in the right direction, on the right path, despite all the ups and downs. Yet possibly, the best thing we can do at such moments is to just rest for a bit and let God take over. Let Him feed us.

What kind of food would God feed us, which could give us such energy, not just to uplift our depressed spirit but also to fuel us for the long journey ahead?

Jesus said, “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.”

Yes, you and I know the answer. No other food is real, but the Lord’s own flesh and blood.

Seriously, do you really believe this?

Do you truly believe that the Holy Eucharist is the supernatural, perfect and real food which can fuel us to continue this earthly journey to reach heaven? And then continue life in eternity?

Every day, every week, year after year, we come to Mass to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. How much do you believe that this is the real food, the only nutrition which our body and soul need to walk day and night till we reach the dwelling place of God?

Holy Communion in the Catholic church, consecrated in a Catholic Mass, is not symbolic. It is real. The Eucharist you are about to receive in this Mass is truly the bread of life, Jesus Himself.

It is the living bread from heaven which gives us everlasting life, the energy we need to reach our permanent home. It is bread that is better than what Elijah had.

So don’t just lie there in despair, don’t just sit there questioning and lamenting about the challenges in life. Don’t keep running on your own strength.

Instead, come to Mass, heed the call of the angel, "Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"

Amen.


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