19th Sunday in Ordinary Times - The Seven Sacraments

As I was preparing for the homily, I was struck with an insight. The text of today deals with the seven sacraments, and today’s readings offer us a comprehensive view of their significance in our Christian lives.

The first reading speaks of the difficult situation Elijah faced. We, too, often find ourselves in similar moments, feeling discouraged and questioning the meaning of life. Especially during times of pain, challenges, and difficulties, we may find ourselves asking, like Elijah, "What am I doing with my life?" We become drained of energy and say, "It's enough; I can’t go on." Just as God fed Elijah and gave him strength, we also need to be anointed by God to regain the strength to bounce back. While the sacrament of Anointing is often seen as preparation for death, it is equally important as a source of strength to live.

The Lord chose Elijah to be His prophet and sent him on a mission. Similarly, God chooses each one of us, and through the sacrament of Baptism, we receive the grace to belong to Him forever. We are all called to fulfill an important mission in our lives. By constantly reminding ourselves of this vocation, we can uphold our values and stay true to our purpose.

The second reading tells us that we are anointed by the Holy Spirit with many gifts. These are the gifts we received during the sacrament of Confirmation. Filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot afford to live in sin, harbor bitterness, or give in to anger. God has given us the sacrament of Confession to cleanse us from these sins and failures.

This preparation brings us to our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. He is the true Bread of Life, who invites us each week to partake in this special sacrament. The Eucharist helps us build a deep relationship with Jesus. As we receive His Body and Blood, we gradually become more like Him, for as the saying goes, "We are what we eat." This divine nourishment that Jesus provides daily leads us to eternal life. Our encounter with Jesus helps us overcome our failures, vulnerabilities, and restores our values.

How beautiful it is to realize that today’s readings connect us to the journey of the sacraments. Whether have embraced the sacrament of matrimony or given the privilege of Holy Orders, or living out our Christian vocation in another way, we must remember that we are all chosen individuals, all endowed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all given the opportunity to cleanse our sins, all strengthened through anointing, and all nourished by the life-giving bread, Jesus Himself. Taste and see that the Lord is Good, Praise the Lord!