General. The Eucharist is a sublime expression of a Christian’s approach to God his creator. It is expected of us to enter before the Divine presence with awe and reverence, but also with love and tenderness towards an adopting Father Who has embraced us and given us His light. When exiting at the end of the celebration, we are expected to carry along this Light with us into a world of darkness which often feels very dazzled with God’s bright ray of truth.

First Book of Kings. God calls Elisha by sending Elijah to cast his mantel (a sign of authority) over him. Elisha understands the sign of handing over (how often do we understand God’s language of signs?) and asks for time to bid his family farewell, knowing that following God and doing His Will is life-long business. As a sign of giving himself completely to God and his cutting off from earthly business, Elisha slaughters his cattle and cooks their flesh on burning plough wood. He has now given his life to God’s people and it is to them that he gives the meat .

Epistle to the Galatians. St Paul reminds us that our calling is to be free. He bids us not to fall back to the slavery of sin. Yet this freedom should not allure us to the free love of passion (eros) which leads to death (thanatos), but to the love of one another through compassion (charitas) and mercy, reflecting God’s mercy for man. Flesh and the spirit go against each other, with sins of the flesh dampening one’s thoughts and reasoning and farthering one away from doing God’s Will.

St Luke. Jesus is not accepted in a village of Samaria since he was proceeding to Jerusalem. James and John, boanerges or sons of fire, call for the destruction of the village but Jesus rebukes them, letting history take its course. Doing God’s will in response to a vocation does not mean dabbling with worldly events or setting things right or ‘as they should be’. It means spreading the Word and letting the Spirit then do the work in the heart of those who receive it. Spreading the Good News is no easy job by any means: insecurity is the key-word for anyone who accepts the mission. Yet this insecurity is a true profession of faith in a loving Father who always provides for His children. Besides, a Christian worthy of his Baptism does certainly not look back. Baptism, and the sound teaching leading to it, gives character.

Homilies Index Page - Liturgy of the Hours - Home