Weekend Reflections for 8/10/18

Food for the Journey

In Sunday’s first reading from the first Book of Kings we hear about the prophet Elijah. He has been banned from the kingdom by Queen Jezebel and is running for his life to escape her power. He’s exhausted and starving and God provides food and drink to strengthen him to continue on. His goal is Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, his protector.

Our lives, too, can be understood and experienced as a journey to meet our God. We move through time and space one day and one place at a time, each day one more stepping stone toward our goal to see God face-to-face. In the second reading St. Paul encourages us “to be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us.” It takes time, one lifetime, and trial and error to learn how to be loving women and men. In the Gospel Jesus states that he himself is our food and drink, our nourishment and strength to keep moving forward toward our goal.

When we receive the Lord in the Eucharistic food and drink, we pray to recognize

‘the living bread that comes down from heaven for the life of the world.”

Fr. Ralph Huse, S.J.