Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
12th June 2024 (Wednesday)
Psalter: Week 2
Reading of the Day
First Reading: 1 Kings 18:20-39
In those days: King Ahab sent to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets together at Mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men. Let two bulls be given to us, and let them choose one bull for themselves and cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. And I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood and put no fire to it. And you call upon the name of your god, and I will call upon the name of the Lord, and the God who answers by fire, he is God.” And all the people answered, “It is well spoken.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.” And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped round the altar that they had made. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,” and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. And the water ran round the altar and filled the trench also with water. And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
Psalm 16:1-2a, 4, 5 and 8, 11 (R. 1)
R/. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Teach me your paths, O Lord. Guide me in your truth.
R/. Alleluia.
Gospel : Matthew 5:17-19
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Wednesday – Tenth Week of Ordinary Time
Guidelines: Ultimately true faith is not merely a matter of having and knowing great laws and traditions. It is not just belonging to religion but being religious and obeying God’s will
1. Very many times, faith is identified with allegiance to a religious group and adherence to a code of laws and religious observances. In this process, many are easily caught up with the mere externals and carried away by shallow passions, prejudices, and hateful actions toward others. That is why in the name of the very God who is always kind and never harmful, many religious followers become fanatical and destructive. This is a contradiction!
2. It is here that Jesus makes it clear what true faith and religious adherence are. It is not blind allegiance or stubborn subscription to the laws and tradition. It is not ill-directed fanatical zeal. It is not a puritan or policing attitude toward others. It is also not an arrogant self-projection as the “saviours” of God himself.
3. True faith is faithfulness. But mind! Faithfulness is not merely to some rules and regulations, distorted to suit human convenience. It is faithfulness to God, a God who is never violent or condemnatory or revengeful toward anyone. It is faithfulness to the true spirit of religion, the kingdom of God.
4. Jesus clearly cautions that “whoever relaxes/twists even one of the least of the commandments and misleads others also will be the least in the kingdom of heaven”. It is this fidelity to the true God that filled the prophet Elijah in the first reading with a passion to challenge the priests of Baal and call them for a contest.
5. The contest between Elijah and Baal’s prophets should not be understood as a “test of true religion” or a fight between religions. In no way, Elijah can be wrongly interpreted in line with the fanatics. Defeating the false prophets and the false god Baal and eventually killing them is not a justification for the so-called “just killings” for God.
6. The contest is a clear call to leave the false ways and immorality in the name of religion and to return to the true God. It is a call to avoid our wavering and unsteady nature. Elijah speaks of this as “the limping between two different opinions”, referring to Israel’s oscillating between true God and false images.
Practice: Many do not realise that the hatred and violence that they instigate and propagate in the name of safeguarding and honouring God is in fact dishonouring God and defeating His sacred designs. No religion is religious if it is harmful to others!
