Commentary: The Prophet Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. He lived during a tumultuous time in Israel’s history. The nation was divided and many of the people, including the leaders, were worshipping pagan gods. In fact, just prior to today’s passage, Elijah had confronted the prophets of Baal, a prominent pagan god. He triumphed over them by challenging them to call fire down from heaven upon their altar. After hours of them invoking their gods and nothing happening, Elijah erected an altar, drenched it and the wood in water, and called down fire upon it from heaven. The one, true God answered and consumed the entire altar with fire. Elijah then had all the prophets of Baal killed. The king of Israel during this time was Ahab, who was not faithful to God. He and his wife, Jezebel, had led the people away from God and into worship of pagan gods, such as Baal. Thus, they were angry with what Elijah did to the prophets of Baal. As a result, Jezebel sought to have Elijah killed. It is within this context that today’s first reading falls. When Elijah went to the desert he was fleeing for his life. This explains his state of anxiety and his desire to simply die there. Elijah probably felt exhausted and wanted to give up the very unpopular work of being a prophet. But that was not God’s plan. God provided for Elijah’s needs, sustaining him with food and drink. The miraculous provision of bread foreshadows the Eucharist discussed in today’s gospel.
Commentary: Here Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus that they “were sealed for the day of redemption” by the Holy Spirit. This identifier should call to mind the sacraments of baptism and confirmation through which the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and we are sealed with an indelible mark on our souls. Just think, in particular, of the words said at confirmation by the celebrant: “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We are set apart and marked as God’s people to love and serve Him. Paul is exhorting us in today’s second reading to act like it. When he says “do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” he is exhorting Christians to avoid sin. We sin whenever we disobey one of God’s commands. In our society today, sin is often downplayed. More and more sins are becoming socially acceptable. This makes it increasingly more difficult to avoid sin. Oftentimes, we hear the phrase, “As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, it’s okay.” But have you ever considered how our sin hurts God? All sin is harmful to us but also “grieves” God and most of the time harms our human relationships too. Mortal sin (i.e. very grave sin) even breaks us off from our relationship with God. This is very serious! The Apostle Paul did not take sin lightly. He exhorts us to remove sin from our lives. We should avoid sin like the plague! How do we do this? By pursuing the good. By being “kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another,” etc. We are called to “be imitators of God.” This means to love as He loves; to forgive as He forgives; to have compassion like He does; and more. How is this possible? Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for us on the cross so we can be transformed into saints. In Jesus, we have everything we need to excel in holiness.
Commentary: Today’s gospel reading picks up soon after last week’s reading from the “Bread of Life Discourse.” While speaking with the crowds soon after the Multiplication of the Loaves miracle, during the time of the Passover, Jesus claimed to be “the bread that came down from heaven.” This upset the Jews. They could not comprehend how Jesus could have “come down from heaven” when they knew his parents and his local origins. Jesus then explained that people would only understand His heavenly origins and, therefore, His identity by God revealing it to them. He then stressed the importance of faith by stating, “whoever believes has eternal life.” Jesus also stressed that He is, in fact, “the bread of life.” Last week we heard about the manna that God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness during the period of the exile. Jesus explained that although the manna provided for the physical needs of the people, it could do nothing to save them from death. The bread He offers can lead to eternal life. It is nourishment for the soul. It is, in fact, Jesus Himself who is this bread that sustains us and allows us to “live forever.” And what is this bread? Jesus said, “the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The bread is the Eucharist, which is the very body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. It is food for our souls to unite us to God and grant us life everlasting. Therefore, let us come to the banquet and be nourished by the bread of life.
Taking it Home:
Invite Jesus to nourish you in the Eucharist by praying this prayer before going up to communion today: “Dear Lord, may I receive you in this Communion with open arms and a loving, contrite heart, so that I may be filled with Your grace, for my good and Your glory!”