Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Old Testament story today, we find Elijah sitting under a broom tree with his head in his hands, wanting to give up, feeling scared and alone, and so depressed he wants to die.  Maybe you’ve been in this dark place in the course of your life.  So what do we do when we find ourselves under a tree of despair?  Perhaps we can take some cues from the story of Elijah.

First of all, Elijah simply fell asleep.  Sometimes the first and most important thing we need in times like this is rest. Sometimes to be a better believer, a better disciple of Jesus, we have to be better human beings – our bodies need rest, and so do our souls.  My friends, rest is not only the way our body heals and restores itself, it is also a sign of trust in God, who never sleeps nor slumbers, just so he can keep watch while we rest and recoup our energy.  

Then after a good night’s rest, the angel nudged Elijah to wake up and get something to eat.  It takes food and rest to undertake the journey, to survive the rough patches and crises along the way, and to keep on going until we reach the finish line.  Jesus invites us to come to him regularly in prayer, wearied and burdened as we may be, and he will give us the rest we need to carry on.  And Jesus also invites us to eat the Bread of Life, the Eucharist.  It is the food that will sustain us all the way to heaven.