I AM THE LIVING BREAD

XIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - 1 Kings 19:4-8

In this Sunday’s liturgy, the first reading invites us to have a good look at the extraordinary figure of Elijah. He was the first great prophet in a line of prophets. His name, meaning “my God is Yahweh”, indicates his mission: to affirm Yahweh as the only God who must be worshipped, revered and obeyed. He put his life at the service of the Lord God and lived in a continuous struggle against the false gods that had led the people astray. Moved by great zeal for God, he showed himself in mighty actions and was ready to use violence against the servants of Baal (1 Kings 18:20). As a prophet, he was bold and fearless, challenging people and calling them to repentance. Then, his life was threatened by the queen who promised to have him killed and he ran away as far as he could going into the wilderness. The powerful prophet was confronted with his weakness which led him to question his vocation and his mission. Tired of fighting and then running into hiding, he asked God to take his life: “‘O Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” It is as if his life became meaningless and without a purpose. However, his mission had not finished yet and God still had plans for him but to go on he needed to be strengthened by God. Twice, Elijah was given food from heaven and then ordered to go on the journey towards the mountain of God.

In a way, all of us are called to journey towards God’s mountain. It is a long and hard journey and we may get tired, discouraged and depressed. Then, it is so easy to give up. We cannot reach the top of God’s mountain to contemplate his face and be wrapped in his glory without being strengthened by the food from heaven. We must eat the bread of life to go on fighting the good fight (1 Tim 6:12).

The bread given to Elijah, like the manna given to the people of Israel in the desert (Ex 16), is a promise of the bread of life - the bread for the journey, that Jesus will give to his disciples. And that bread is Jesus himself: 

“I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.

Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;

and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,

for the life of the world.” (Jn 6:51).