June 10

June 10, 2016:  Friday, 10th week, Ordinary Time

See a dozen connections with today?
Legend below

Listen

For 1st reading

• Open, Lord, my inward ear/ Wesley, Leavitt:  lyrics+

• I'll go where you want me to go (It may not be on the mountain's height)/ Brown:  lyrics and sheet music

• God is calling through the whisper/ Bringle:  about

• Stout-hearted men, from The New Moon/ Romberg, Hammerstein :-)

For Psalm 27

• The Lord is my light and my salvation/ Rutter
• The Lord is my light/ Stokes
• The Lord is my light/ Walker
• The Lord is my Light/ Haas
• In whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27/ Silver
• Psalm 27:1-4:  The Lord is my Light and my Salvation/ Mui:  sheet music
• In the arms of God/ Alonso
• The Lord is my light/ Foley, from A Dwelling Place
• Psalms 27/ McClurkin
• Psalm 27: The Lord is my Light/ Celoni:  sheet music (Sunday, funeral versions)
• This alone/ Manion, from Lord of Light:  sheet music
• The Lord is near/ Joncas, from On Eagle's Wings, done at funerals as "May the angels lead you into paradise":  sheet music

Pope Francis homily

Elijah fought for the faith, defeating hundreds of idolaters, but then collapsed discouraged under a tree, waiting to die.  But God sends an angel commanding him to get up, eat, and go out.  To meet God you need to go back to the situation at the time of creation, standing and walking.  God created us capable of standing before him, in his image and likeness, and on our way with him.  "Go cultivate the land, and multiply."  "Go stand on the mountaintop in my presence."  Elijah stood on his feet and set off.

How can we meet the Lord?  The angel invited Elijah to go out of the cave to stand in God's presence.  The Lord wasn't in the fire, noise, majesty, or bustle but spoke in the gentle breeze's whisper (original:  "the strain of a sonorous silence").

The angel tells Elijah to go out, inviting him to retrace his steps to the desert to fulfill his assignment.  This captures the stimulus to be on the way, not closed, not within the selfishness of our comfort, but brave in bringing the Lord's message to others, to go on a mission.

We must always seek the Lord.  Bad moments pull us down:  moments without faith, times we don't see the horizon and can't get up.  But the Lord comes, refreshes us with bread and his strength, and says, "Arise and be on your way!"  To meet the Lord we must stand upright and on our way, wait open-hearted for him speak to us, and he'll say, "It is I."  There faith becomes strong, faith for mission, for us to bring to others.

Read

• 1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-16  Lord to Elijah at Horeb cave:  “Stand on the mountain; the Lord will be passing by.”  The Lord wasn't in the wind, earthquake, or fire but in a tiny whispering sound.  Elijah, face hidden:  “I've been zealous for the Lord, but Israel has forsaken your covenant and killed your prophets.  I alone am left, and they seek to kill me.”  Lord:  “Return to the desert and anoint Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha.”

• Ps 27:7-9c, 13-14  "I long to see your face, O Lord."  I seek you; hear and answer my call.  I believe I'll see the Lord's bounty.  Wait for the Lord with courage.

• Mt 5:27-32  “You've heard, 'You shall not commit adultery,' but I say, all who look at a woman with lust have already committed it.  If your eye or hand causes you to sin, get rid of it.  You've heard, 'Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce,' but I say, whoever divorces his wife causes her to commit adultery...”

Reflect

• Fr. Albert Bahhuth homily podcast:  Journey in love

• Creighton:  Elijah discovered God in a “still, small voice.”  How often do we look for God in the magnificent and miss his quiet voice?  We discover God’s word in day-to-day events, family, friends, other people.  May we be tuned into You and reverently attend to Your word and invitation. 

• One Bread, One Body:  "Be still and know I am God":  Elijah had more confidence in Jezebel's fury than his own strength.  She swore to eliminate him and sent assassins.  Elijah stood as a brass wall against the nation but couldn't stand up to her; he fled.  Finally, the Lord asked him, "Why are you here?" and sent him back out.  God's call and mission give us strength as we obey.  The Lord sent Elijah on a route that took a wide detour around Jezebel, then took him to heaven in a whirlwind, then put a double-portion of Elijah's spirit in Elisha his successor.  God wants us to quiet down and listen.  We all have Jezebels; we must know that God is almighty and listen for his voice.

• Passionist:  God rarely shouts at us, so we need to listen for whispers and use our intellect to interpret and apply what God is saying....

• DailyScripture.net:  "If your eye causes you to sin":  Jesus used forceful language to urge us to choose for life; just as a doctor might remove a diseased body part to preserve a life, so we must part with whatever causes us to sin.  Jesus warns us we must set no stumbling block that might lead another astray.  We must understand the intention of God's commands for us and decide to obey the Lord....

Dress legend

• 'Sword' tie pin:  The children of Israel put your prophets to the sword. (1st reading)

• 'Rock' tie pin:  A strong wind was crushing rocks (1st reading)

• Orange suspenders:  After the earthquake there was fire (1st reading)

• 'Phone' tie bar:  Hear the sound of my call (psalm)

• 'Clock' tie bar:  Wait for the Lord with courage (psalm)

• 'Heart' tie bar:  Be stouthearted (psalm); everyone who looks with lust commits adultery in his heart (gospel)

• 'Eyeball' tie pin: I'll see the bounty of the Lord (psalm); If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out...; Everyone who looks at a woman with lust...  (gospel)

• 'Hand' tie pin:  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off... (gospel)

• Tie with cars:  Elijah's journey (1st reading)

• Green in shirt:  Ordinary Time season

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