ELIA RELY
Come, Holy Spirit, fill with your light of our minds to understand the true meaning of your Word.
Come, Holy Spirit, kindle in our hearts the fire of your love to ignite our faith.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill our people with your strength to revive in us what is weak in our service to God
Come, Holy Spirit, the gift of prudence to curb our enthusiasm to prevent us from loving God and neighbor.
READ (1 Kings 16,23-34-17,1-6)
16, [23] In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king of Israel. He reigned twelve years, including six in Tirzah. [24] Then he bought the hill from Semer Someron for two talents of silver. Built on the mountain and called the city which he built Samaria there by the name of Semer, owner of Mt. [25] Omri did evil in the eyes of God, worse than all his predecessors. [26] he walked in all the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat and sins of those who had made Israel sin, provoking anger with their vanities to Yahweh, the God of Israel. [27] The other events of Omri, and all his actions and his exploits are described in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. [28] Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. In his place his son Ahab became king.
[29] Ahab son of Omri became king over Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two. [30] Ahab son of Omri did evil in the eyes of God, worse than all his predecessors. [31] It's not enough to imitate the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but also took to wife Jezebel daughter Et-Baal, king of those of Sidon, and began to serve Baal and worship him. [32] He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. [33] Ahab erected a grove and he made things even more irritating to the Lord God of Israel, more than all his predecessors the kings of Israel. [34] In his days Chiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho, laid the foundation on Abiram his first-born and raised above the doors Segub his youngest child, according to the word of the Lord through Joshua son of Nun.
17, [1] Elijah the Tishbite, one of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "For the life of the Lord, the God of Israel, before whom I stand, in these years there will be no dew or rain, if not I'll tell you when. "
[2] He was the word of the LORD: [3]" Get out of here, head east and hide by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. [4] Ibid drink the river and the crows for my command will bring you your food. "[5] He performed the commandment of the LORD, and went to settle the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. [6] The ravens brought bread and meat in the morning to evening, and he drank of the brook.
go along with this lectio, a part of the experience of the prophet Elijah, starting from its historical context, socio-politico-religious that makes us understand that the call the service of God appears in a moment of history we live (cf. 16:23). In fact, verses 23-34 of chapter. 16 of 1 Kings are a theological interpretation of historical events.
Verse 1 begin by recalling the historical period with the ascension of Omri. He, for history, was a great king. United with its policy the northern kingdom (Israel) and the peoples of the Syro-Phoenician significant tightening economic ties, expanding trade. To secure its borders and stabilize trade relations with sirofenici. Omri founded the kingdom of Samaria as the capital of North dedicating a temple to Baal (cf. 1 Kgs 16.29-32) was Syro-Phenician deity. Yet, he "he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, worst of all his predecessors' (16:25). But with the ascent to the throne of Ahab son of Omri, was altered, this integration reached its peak: it was Ahab married Jezebel of Tyre-Sidon, the city was Syro-Phenician. It was the custom in ancient
any political and commercial recognition, allowing the other party the exercise of worship. Jezebel, in fact, continued in Israel also surround the Phoenician cult of "prophets" as the instruments and ministers of Baal. So he came to create a break-up socio-religious court in the kingdom of the north and middle classes in the city was worshiped Baal, among the people, however, was worshiped YHWH.
This disintegration of values of life, even religion, has created a situation of crisis and death (see 16.34).
But Ahab "He did evil in the eyes of God, worse than all his predecessors [...] began to serve Baal and worship him. He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. Ahab erected a grove and he made things even more irritating to the Lord God of Israel, more than all his predecessors the kings of Israel "(16:30-33).
In this reading we see the end of the theological jahwismo, namely the loss of identity of the people of Israel, the end of the ideal egalitarian and fraternal Alliance. It is here that sets the prophet Elijah realizing that it can not go forward.
One thing that we see now in 17.1 not the calling of Elijah is told as it happens for other biblical characters, the author tells us only that Elijah is "one of the inhabitants of Gilead," and exercising the ministry enters of prophet announcing the situation of sin, a time of drought the last three years.
How many times in our life, before speaking of "vocation" We have lived (or live) a drought? In this ad
Elia wants to understand life as opposed to the situation of death and violence and the whole situation of idolatry against which YHWH is the God of life, which is interested in the life of the people, unlike Ahab, despite his religious interests.
In these verses of chapter 6. We have 17 symbols that refer to God the rain and dew.
These two signs indicate they want the word of God (cf. Dt 32.2; Sir 39.6, Is 55.10 to 11) down as peace and justice (Ps 72.5-7). It is a symbol of God's love (especially the dew) to Israel (Hos 14:6), a symbol of brotherly love (Ps 133.3).
But Elijah is a symbol, a parable of God's Word says Ben Sira, "Elijah arose, a prophet, like fire, and his word burned like a torch" (48.1), that is, the word does not come from him, but by God, so his word is the word of God, not words about God but the word of God
So the Prophet announced by the drought means there is no Word of God, the absence of the love of God when there is this kind of drought, our life moves between the nonsense and the search for meaning through continuous dissemination of "why" (see Deut 11.16-17; Ez 22.24; Am 4.7) . What Elijah complaint is the 'atomization' of society.
You breathe the air, even this phenomenon in our society where everyone is for himself, shuts himself up in his cave and live their lives, resulting in disintegration (cf. Jer 14.1 to 10).
Elijah announces his theological interpretation of reality, which coincides with the vision that God has this reality. Why is this coincidence?
The name of Elijah ('eliyyahu) means "YHWH is my God." In fact, he is one who lives in this presence, which is the "presence of God, pray and live or listen to the Word of God But the people seem not to live under the primacy of the Word of God is confused, you cheated the first attraction or need. He needs to return to the sources of faith, to be fed by God (vv. 2-6).
In these verses we have the symbol of God's word: meat, bread, water, the same ones that had the people in the desert (Ex 16,8.12).
will the ravens to bring food to Elijah, that animal that is unclean (Deut. 14:14), not for the sacrifices on the altar of YHWH, and that symbolizes the living room of Elijah in the pagan land, outside of Israel.
In this particular time Elijah has to live in hiding, returning to the sources of faith, where he was born a free people from slavery (Jordan-Step-Easter). This concealment
you feel protected by God (Ps 32.21) and at the same time experiencing the absence of God, the sin of the people symbolized by the raven.
With his concealment, Elijah makes visible the drought and its severe consequences: lack of values \u200b\u200band brotherly love, solidarity, presence of death.
Even Jesus, with his hidden life at Nazareth experience this situation, but his death will be to resurrect the people.
Elijah teaches us that in all our situation, there is a hidden meaning that often we are unable to decipher. He believes that life and all creation is governed by secret rules and laws. Hence the invitation to discover the deeper meaning of things. But not enough to find out.
all knowledge of man and the world starts from the knowledge of God In fact, Elijah "drank of the brook" (17.6), that is with God "who gives healing to the sick with the sprinkling of water '(Pseudo-Ephrem ). This is not
turns away from reality, but does just the opposite: in the light of God, man and the world acquire their true dimension.
with the prophet, we are called to cultivate "the art of making us questions" to find meaning in life, every day to find out the secret of happiness and personal fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God, the prophet says, is the latest way to go to avoid running into the disaster, to transform human society (including religious) in a hymn to life.
QUESTIONS 1. The prophet Elijah taught that life is a gift. As a personal gift to go particularly proud of?
2. You, too, like Elijah to live "presence of God" that is, plays pray and live the Word of God?
3. Have you ever thought that the Word of God dwells even your own words?
4. Which reality do you feel particularly challenged?
- situations of injustice and exploitation;
- give rise to fear of failure;
- situations of separation from God;
- situations of non-sense of looking at life;
- situations not love
- situations of witness and joyful self-giving.
5. Do you feel in your situation called "drought" to be a prophet bringing the Word of God at all?
PRAYER Lord, I am better than others and I you have placed in the salvation of others. My light is so dim that hardly see the road for me, and I have become a signal for everyone.
are too common flour sack, I am a man like any other and want my weakness and strength of the weak, that my wealth and poverty of the poor, that my illness is hope for all.
Lord, I'm not better than others.
cleanse my lips with the hot coals of your holiness and my darkness will be light and my word message. Amen.
ACTION
Try to put yourself in front of this word heard, make it "burn" within you and obey what you ask.
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