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| “Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of Fire” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1740/1755 |
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading 1: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14
When the Lord was about to take
Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,
he and Elisha were on their way
from Gilgal.
Elijah said to Elisha, “Please
stay here;
the Lord has sent me on to the
Jordan.”
“As the Lord lives, and as you
yourself live, I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.
And so the two went on together.
Fifty of the guild prophets
followed and
when the two stopped at the Jordan,
they stood facing them at a
distance.
Elijah took his mantle, rolled it
up
and struck the water, which
divided,
and both crossed over on dry
ground.
When they had crossed over,
Elijah said to Elisha,
“Ask for whatever I may do for
you, before I am taken from you.”
Elisha answered, “May I receive a
double portion of your spirit.”
“You have asked something that is
not easy,” Elijah replied.
“Still, if you see me taken up
from you,
your wish will be granted;
otherwise not.”
As they walked on conversing,
a flaming chariot and flaming
horses came between them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a
whirlwind.
When Elisha saw it happen he
cried out,
“My father! my father! Israel’s
chariots and drivers!”
But when he could no longer see
him,
Elisha gripped his own garment
and tore it in two.
Then he picked up Elijah’s mantle
that had fallen from him,
and went back and stood at the
bank of the Jordan.
Wielding the mantle that had
fallen from Elijah,
Elisha struck the water in his
turn and said,
“Where is the Lord, the God of
Elijah?”
When Elisha struck the water it
divided and he crossed over.
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Commentary on 2 Kgs 2:1, 6-14
The story of Elijah being taken
bodily to heaven gives some unique insights into the reverence with which he is
held. We note first that he parts the waters of the Jordan with his cloak, a
clear reference to other great leaders of the people: Moses who, through God,
opened the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), and
Joshua at the Jordan (Joshua 3:7-14).
We also note that Elisha asked
for a “double portion” of his spirit as an inheritance. “Double portion
of your spirit: as the first-born son inherited a double portion of his
father's property (Deuteronomy 21:17), so
Elisha asks to inherit from Elijah his spirit of prophecy in the degree
befitting his principal disciple. In Numbers 11:17, 25 God bestows some of the spirit of Moses on
others.”[4]
Following the ascension of
Elijah, Elisha’s request is apparently granted as he uses the cloak of Elijah
to repeat the miracle, opening the Jordan once more. The succession of Prophets
is complete.
CCC: 2 Kgs 2:9 2684
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 31:20, 21, 24
R. (25) Let
your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord.
How great is the goodness, O
Lord,
which you have in store for those
who fear you,
And which, toward those who take
refuge in you,
you show in the sight of the
children of men.
R. Let your hearts take comfort,
all who hope in the Lord.
You hide them in the shelter of
your presence
from the plottings of men;
You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.
R. Let your hearts take comfort,
all who hope in the Lord.
Love the Lord, all you his
faithful ones!
The Lord keeps those who are
constant, but more than requites those who act proudly.
R. Let your hearts take comfort,
all who hope in the Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 31:20, 21, 24
Psalm 31 is an individual lament.
The faithful are comforted that God may be trusted, and that even in the face
of enemies, God, who has shown his love from age to age, will save his people.
Placed with Matthew (6:1-6, 16-18), a
clear reference is made to God’s love of those who are humble.
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Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Take care not to perform
righteous deeds
in order that people may see
them;
otherwise, you will have no
recompense from your heavenly Father.
When you give alms, do not blow a
trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.
Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward.
But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know
what your right is doing,
so that your almsgiving may be
secret.
And your Father who sees in
secret will repay you.
“When you pray, do not be like
the hypocrites,
who love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on street corners
so that others may see them.
Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward.
But when you pray, go to your
inner room, close the door,
and pray to your Father in
secret.
And your Father who sees in
secret will repay you.
“When you fast, do not look
gloomy like the hypocrites.
They neglect their appearance,
so that they may appear to others
to be fasting.
Amen, I say to you, they have
received their reward.
But when you fast, anoint your
head and wash your face,
so that you may not appear to
others to be fasting,
except to your Father who is
hidden.
And your Father who sees what is
hidden will repay you.”
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Commentary on Mt 6:1-6, 16-18
The Lord continues the Sermon on
the Mount. In this selection the Lord specifically addresses the pious acts of
charity, prayer, and fasting, contrasting each with the spurious or pandering
acts of the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells his audience that when they do
these things, do them for God to see, not other people. They are to do what is
right for God’s glory, not their own, not so that others will place them in
high esteem because of their piety or generosity. In all three instances,
almsgiving, prayer, and fasting, the same instruction is given. We are to give
generously but in private, we are to pray fervently but alone, and we are to
fast with purpose but hide our discomfort. (Omitted from this reading, Matthew 6; 7-15, is
Jesus giving the disciples the Lord’s Prayer.)
CCC: Mt 6:1-18 1434; Mt
6:1-6 1430, 1969; Mt
6:2-4 1753, 2447; Mt 6:2 1063; Mt 6:5 1063; Mt 6:6 1693, 2608, 2655,
2691; Mt 6:14-16 2792; Mt
6:16-18 1430; Mt 6:16 1063; Mt 6:18 575
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Reflection:
It is common for people who
become involved in an area of service within the Church, a ministry or
apostolate, to take ownership of it. It becomes their offering to God. It can be
simple, like bringing meals to the needy on a monthly basis or visiting the
homebound. The more and longer we involve ourselves in these projects the more
ownership we take and they can become a source of pride. We are doing what the
Lord commands and we are doing it well. In fact we are doing it so well that
others who may be attempting the same kind of service can be seen as
interlopers or impediments to our service.
Aha! We have fallen into the trap
the Lord warns about in the Gospel. We have forgotten who we serve, and who
gives us the gifts we share. Our service can become a source of pride in our
own ability, and not about glorifying God through that service. It is for this
reason the Lord enjoins us to reserve our piety to the privacy of our rooms. It
must be seen by others, not shown to others if it is in public.
Telling a story on myself, a
number of years ago I had just completed a Benediction Service following our
weekly First Friday Adoration. I felt very good because the homily I had given
on the Eucharist was particularly touching (to me). As I was in the sacristy
getting out of my vestments, one of the parishioners brought in the clip board
with the sign-up sheet. I happened to glance down and noticed a name by the
2:00 AM time slot. I knew this person, an elderly man. He used to be very
active on the finance committee, but then his wife had passed and he had some
health set back, and sort of fell from “parish icon” status. Out of curiosity I
looked at the sheets from previous months and discovered that this great
Christian had come each month on First Friday for over two years. Always he
came at 2:00 AM. (I later found out that that was the hour his wife had
passed.) Very few people saw him, not many people just drop in at 2:00 AM to
adore the Blessed Sacrament.
When I saw this anonymous
dedication, I was humbled. Here I was feeling good about speaking publicly
about the Sacrifice of Jesus in the Eucharist, while this man had, for years,
been genuinely adoring the Lord in anonymity. To myself I said: “And who do you
think will be ushered into the Heavenly Kingdom with the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant?”
We are pointedly reminded today
of who should receive the credit for what we accomplish. Not only should the
Lord be given credit for the good works we accomplish, but giving glory to the
Father should be our motivation for taking on the task, any task, in the first
place. A hard lesson for us today; one we pray we learn without the public
humiliation that frequently accompanies the proud.
Pax
[1]
The picture used is “Elijah Taken Up in a Chariot of
Fire” by Giuseppe Angeli, c. 1740/1755
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible
with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the
International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This re-publication is
not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4]
See NAB footnote on 2 Kg 2;9
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