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!
