Mt 17:9-13 They Understood
Lord, increase my faith for I long to see your face!
The prophecies had to be fulfilled. The Lord fulfills them perfectly. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel for Jewish Christians. They knew Sacred Scripture well and Matthew reminds them of the prophecies of old and how they relate to Jesus. “Matthew’s Gospel is written by a Jew to Jews about the Jew who was crucified for claiming to be the King of the Jews.” (- Peter Kreeft, Reading and Praying the New Testament).
The signs are all there. “Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace” (Sir 48:1). Like Elijah, Lord I ask you to send me. May my thoughts be open to you and my words do you justice. I seek to appear as fire in the eyes of those around me. The Lord sent Elijah to illuminate hearts and minds; to blaze through the clutter of this world and make it simple once again; to restore and rekindle away all that should be. The Lord sent great men in times of need.
The Lord sends me. Yes. The Lord loves to repeat history. Advent is the coming of the Lord. The first coming is his birth. The last coming shall be his return. What about now? What does Advent mean to us, now? It means the Lord sends us. “Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship” (Sir 48:11). We are the great sinners who waited in line to be baptized by John. We are the great prophets! We are the Elijah! I am Elijah! We are the Lord's Apostles! We are announcing to the world the coming of the Lord. He shall arrive! He shall be seen! He shall be heard! He shall be received!
Every single convert has experienced the love of God not because they read the Bible but because they met a Christian. We have forgotten the amazing role the Lord has given to us. “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” Only for this reason are we greater than John the Baptist; only for this reason does he say “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Mt 11:11).
As long as the deserts remain parched the mission of the Christian shall always be the same: to put an end to wrath before the day of the Lord and to establish a new world order. A world that may be governed by our sovereign King; where Love prevails and all tears are wiped away. Our God has done marvelous deeds for he has given to us his Son’s spirit and heart; his flesh and blood. We have been called into existence; sent from heaven to earth to turn back the hearts of fathers towards their sons. We are destined for greatness.
How awesome are you, Elijah! How awesome are you, St. John! How awesome are you who follow the Lord and make straight the way of the Lord. You make the difference! You changed my life! You helped me to believe once again! These words are pleasing to God. The Lord demands faithful Apostles.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved! (Ps 80:4)
Father,
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you'll respond, but I keep wondering how John the Baptist is Elijah.
I read it for my meditation last night, I heard it at mass this morning and on your blog. I've thought about it and thought about it and nothing is coming.
I don't get it. I'm sure there is an explanation. And I may be stupid, but that sounds like reincarnation but if Elijah didn't die, I don't know what that is, that's even more weird.
Can you explain? Or can anybody explain?