The first reading that the Church gives us today is from 1 Kings 17:1-6. In these six simple lines, we learn several valuable lessons to help guide us through our daily lives. The passage opens with Elijah bravely declaring to King Ahab that there will be a drought in his kingdom as a consequence of their sinful worship of false gods. It takes great courage for Elijah to deliver this message because he knows that he will be persecuted for delivering it. But Elijah cares more about the opinion of God than the opinion of man, so he boldly declares the drought.
It is important to notice that Elijah is able to immediately hear the voice of God. All believers possess the capacity to hear God’s voice. Jesus reminds us of this truth when He declares, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
In order to hear God’s voice, we must pray with and meditate on Scripture each day because, as St. Jerome teaches us, “When we pray, we speak to God; but when we read, God speaks to us.” This passage reminds us that we should regularly have moments of prayer where we listen for the voice of God.
Elijah also teaches us that when we discern the voice of God, we need to bravely follow His command, and if we do, God will always provide. The text ends with Elijah in a seemingly impossible situation. He is alone in the wilderness with no provision. It seems hopeless, yet God miraculously sends ravens to bring him bread and meat, and Elijah drinks from the stream. These lines remind us that "with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). So no matter what situation you find yourself in, have faith and be hopeful because when you follow God’s command, He will provide.
Let us end by meditating on the Eucharistic tones of these final lines when we read that God sends Elijah “flesh” and “bread” to sustain him in the wilderness. We see that God invites Elijah to “drink from the stream.” These lines remind us that we too need this spiritual food to sustain us as we journey through the wilderness. Where can we get this holy bread and holy flesh? As Catholics, we can go each day to be sustained by the Eucharist. We can go to the Mass to drink from the stream of living water and to be refreshed and made new by God’s grace.