Food for the journey ahead

The interesting bit of the first reading we hear today is Elijah’s initial reaction to the offer of food and drink for the journey ahead. The first time around he takes what’s offered, but then promptly goes back into his shell. Elijah wasn’t going to buy into God’s ploy too easily; he wasn’t quite prepared to let go of his own personal #metoo moment. So the Lord again came knocking at the door of his heart: Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you …

Our weekly Sunday gathering places us at this same moment in Elijah’s journey. Here we are offered by the Lord what we each need for our journeys through life. The Eucharistic food and drink we are offered in Holy Communion is the equivalent of Elijah’s hot scone and jar of water: it is our nourishment for the road ahead. We need this sustenance regularly, if we are to get up and get going as missionary disciples, sent out to tell others of his Gospel.

We can all get a bit Elijah-like in our ways at times, even if we receive Holy Communion faithfully each week. Aren’t we all susceptible—at least at particular times—to taking the Lord’s life-sustaining gift for granted? We come out for the Eucharist but promptly retreat back into our shells.

But God is persevering—he’s not going to go away. So, the Lord continues to offer us his heavenly food and drink, with an everlasting hope that we will find the strength in him for the journey ahead. Our principle call as Christians is to be on the road. The word ‘parish’ derives from the word ‘to sojourn’. So this parish church is not meant to be where we come to stop and stay. It is meant, instead, to be where we come to rest for a short while, and to prepare for the next day on the road with Christ.

So keep coming to Mass on Sunday, folks, because Jesus keeps offering himself to us here. But don’t get stuck here, because we are being given eucharistically what we need to leave this place and go out with Gospel hope.