Elijah on Mount Carmel
1 Kings 18:41–46; Ps. 65; Matt. 5:20–26
At the end of the drought, Elijah instructed Ahab to “go up, eat, and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” While he himself climbed to the top of Mount Carmel. As the rain was fast approaching, Elijah, through his servant, told Ahab to get into his chariot and go back home before the rain stopped him. Eventually, at Elijah’s departure from the mountaintop, the hand of God came upon him, and his chariot outran the chariot of Ahab.
Beloved, in spirituality, we don’t win by activism; we win by waiting on God. Elijah waited in prayer even after God had assured him of the rain. While waiting in prayer, grace took him, and he outran Ahab. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Therefore, in the race of destiny, if we are to excel, we must learn to wait on the Lord.
True Christians walk according to the promptings of the Spirit. In addition, Jesus says that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we shall not enter the kingdom of God. True Christians must live above pharisaic attitudes. We must cultivate the attitude of waiting, and finally, we must lay aside every prejudice, anger, and resentment that characterised the Scribes and the Pharisees.
Lastly, the church celebrates the memorial of St. Anthony of Padua today. He grew in the radical disposition and spirit of Elijah. Through his intercession, may we find grace to follow Christ. St. Anthony, pray for us.
Let us pray.
Father, we pray that you remove our guilt and wipe away our sins so that we can draw closer to you. We praise you for the grace and forgiveness we have received. We resolve to do better and exceed the average through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
