Homily: Tenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time
Tenth Wednesday of Ordinary Time (1 Kings 18:20-39) “Gods Agents”
We have over 30 prophets in the Old Testament. Moses might be considered the first prophet. What is a prophet. A prophet is someone who acts as a conduit between God and people. A prophet is called by God. With Moses this was obvious because God appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush. God asks Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Other prophets have a call that is not so clear. Elijah is an example of this. We do not hear about how he was called but he appears in Scripture at the time of King Ahab. Ahab was a descendent of King Soloman. He married a woman named Jezebel. Jezebel worshipped a God named Baal and she caused Ahab to do the same. He set up an altar to Baal in the temple. This was a violation of the first commandment.
Prophets arise when there is a crisis in Israel. That was the way it was with Elijah. He began to condemn Ahab and Jezebel for their blasphemy. This did not endear him to the king and queen. They were ready to punish Elijah, even kill him. This leads to the story that we have today.
Prophets engage in prophetic actions. These actions emphasize their message and lend credibility to their ministry. Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to contest. Whose God can reign fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice. The prophets of Baal try to perform this miracle. Elijah does call down fire from heaven and the fire even burns up a sacrifice that is drenched with water. The God of Elijah proves to be more powerful.
John the Baptist is said to be the last of the Old Testament prophets, but he was certainly not the last prophet. There have always been prophets and as long as there is a world we will need prophets. Prophets constantly remind us of the need for justice. They defend the weak and vulnerable.
Reflection Questions:
1. Who is my favorite prophet in the Scriptures? Why?
2. Do I see any prophets in the world today? Who?
Dear Parishioners,
I would like to thank all the parishioners who have been volunteering their time to help our parish. Today there will be people trimming bushes around the property. Last week numerous people helped with the rummage sale. There are also volunteers helping to get ready for the Sacred Heart Reunion.
Without volunteers it would be hard to have the many activities we have at Sacred Heart. Could you get involved? Watch our bulletin and WEB page for opportunities.
May Our Lady of Peace pray for our war-torn world.
Fr. Mark