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.”
"The Spirit," said Jesus, "blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus was surprised by that and asked could anyone be born again. We might ask the same of ourselves as we wearily return to a post-pandemic normal which is familiar in the worst ways. The murder of innocent bystanders continue; suicide and drug abuse are everywhere; leaders follow the polls which reflect the propaganda of wealthy financiers because an illiterate electorate cannot think for itself. And the economy falters. The list continues endlessly.
Can the Church pick ourselves up, be born again, inhale a new spirit, and rejoice in the Pentecost we so recently celebrated?
In today's first reading a weary Elijah is tailed by an eager disciple, Elisha. Despite his forbidding manner, he is pleased that God has given him this promise of an heir; he appreciates the young man's enthusiasm. But he cannot forget the hardship he has suffered. When Elisha asks for a "double portion of your spirit," the old man shudders, "You have asked for something that is not easy."
In effect: you have no idea what God will demand of you, and the opposition you will face.
People still get married. Not as many as used to, and they're still spending extravagantly on destination weddings. But they believe in marriage and hope this one lasts a while. Women still give birth to babies and eagerly care for them despite the financial hardships of parenting. Many young men remain faithful to their women; and some prove it by publicly getting married, and fathering their children.
And Catholic churches continue to celebrate the Eucharist - the Body and Blood of Jesus -- weekly and daily.
The Bishops of the United States urge Catholics to take up again the practice of public worship in the formal setting of the Mass. They are planning to gather devout Catholics from across the nation in 2024 in Indianapolis for a Eucharistic Congress. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, will come. We must not hide our religious practices for they demonstrate our faith, and faith without demonstrations is dead.
We must believe that Emmanuel is truly present in the Bread and Wine of our Eucharist. The Spirit of Elijah did indeed fall on Elisha just as the Spirit of Jesus fell on his apostles and disciples. And their Spirit remains with us.
Relentless hardships and deep frustration only prove the futility of our human efforts. We will always try and fail. We will try to prove our own worth and virtue and willingness, and we will fail. But the Spirit of God will not abandon us anymore than God abandoned Jesus as he died on Calvary. We're still here because God is still with us. For God will not abandon his people.
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you. Isaiah 49:15
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.