30 June 2019
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In our first reading we hear of the call of Elisha, in which we find keys for understanding God’s call throughout all times. First, although Elijah does act as an instrument of God in inspiring Elisha to accept the prophetic vocation, it is not Elijah who calls Elisha. “Go back!” Elijah tells Elisha, “Have I done anything to you?” (1 Kgs 19:20) Indeed, Elijah had just thrown his cloak over Elisha while the latter was in the middle of plowing a field, a mysterious sign of election to be sure. Yet, it was God who told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor, and it was God who was filling the heart of Elisha with zeal to follow the prophet who had so unexpectedly interrupted his work day. Second, the God who calls Elisha, calls him to Himself, calls him to say good-bye to his old life, to give up any expectation of returning to that life (oxen cannot plow very well once they have been slaughtered), and to devote his whole heart to God. Lastly, God’s vocation or call characteristically implies service to others. The oxen Elisha slaughters are used as food for family and neighbors. The manner in which he follows Elijah is as an attendant, that is, as a servant.
St. Paul writes of the life of Christian freedom as a life of service to others, which he contrasts to the life of following opportunities for the flesh. He describes those Galatians who are seeking opportunities of the flesh as selfish, proud, and seeking to undermine their neighbors. As we examine our own fidelity to God’s call, we might ask to what extent we use the resources God gives us to serve others (like Elisha) or to try to get something for ourselves from our family, coworkers, or neighbors (like certain Galatians).
The Psalmist prays to God with these words: “I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you. O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup.” (Ps 16:2,5) When we speak to the Lord who calls us, how do we address Him? Surely, following Christ’s teachings, we call Him our Father. Yet, how often do we consider what this means for us? The Psalmist’s prayer reminds us that nothing else can replace God. We are to look for no further inheritance than the most profound relationship we can imagine with the One who loves us more than we can ever fully know. Are we devoting ourselves to that relationship as Elisha did, or are we still looking for something else to be our ‘allotted portion’? May the call of our God to follow Him reach the ears of our hearts. May we respond generously and humbly, and so show ourselves to be seeking to have the Lord alone as our inheritance. In this way, may we be the children of light that the Church this week prays we might be.