Daily Readings - Sat Dec 15 2018
Sirach
1And the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch2He brought a famine upon them, and those who provoked him in their envy became few. For they could not bear the precepts of the Lord3By the word of the Lord, he closed the heavens, and he brought down fire from heaven three times4In this way, Elijah was magnified in his wondrous works. So who can say that he is similar to you in glory9He was received into a whirlwind of fire, into a swift chariot with fiery horses10He is written in the judgments of the times, so as to lessen the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob11Blessed are those who saw you, and who were adorned with your friendship
Matthew
10And his disciples questioned him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that it is necessary for Elijah to arrive first?11But in response, he said to them: "Elijah, indeed, shall arrive and restore all things12But I say to you, that Elijah has already arrived, and they did not recognize him, but they did whatever they wanted to him. So also shall the Son of man suffer from them.13Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the figure of Elijah, a prophet whose fiery passion and unwavering commitment to God’s will left an indelible mark on the history of salvation. In the First Reading from Sirach, Elijah is portrayed as a man of extraordinary zeal, whose words burned like a torch and whose actions were accompanied by miraculous signs. He was a man of judgment and restoration, sent by God to call His people back to faithfulness. Yet, as the passage also notes, Elijah’s mission was not without cost; those who opposed him suffered the consequences of their rebellion. The reading ends with a note of hope: Elijah’s ultimate role was to reconcile and restore, to bring peace between generations.
In the Gospel, Jesus takes up this theme of Elijah but gives it a surprising twist. When the disciples ask why the scribes teach that Elijah must come first before the Messiah, Jesus agrees that Elijah will indeed come to restore all things. However, He adds that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. The disciples, in their confusion, had failed to recognize John’s role as the fulfillment of Elijah’s spirit. Jesus laments that just as Elijah suffered rejection and mistreatment, so too would the Son of Man suffer at the hands of those who refused to see the truth.
These readings remind us that God’s plan often unfolds in ways we do not expect. Elijah’s spirit appeared in John the Baptist, not in a fiery chariot or a dramatic spectacle, but in a humble prophet crying out in the wilderness. Similarly, in our own lives, God’s presence may come to us through unexpected people or circumstances. The moral lesson here is one of humility and openness. We must learn to recognize God’s work in the world, even when it does not conform to our preconceived notions. Like Elijah and John the Baptist, we are called to be instruments of restoration and reconciliation, bringing light and truth to a world that often resists it. Let us pray for the grace to see God’s hand at work in our lives and to respond with courage and faith.