Friar’s Corner: Jezebel and the Eucharist
1 Kings 10:4-8; Ps 34:2-9; Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2; John 6:41-51
Dear Holy Spirit, teach us the truth of God’s plan for our salvation.
Last week I gave you the "Bread of Life" texts from St. John chapter 6. Keep those texts in a safe place for quick reference. Jesus is our best meal each day in his words in scripture and himself as our vast energy source for fighting the evil things around us each day. Let see how.
To see a little of the background story for the first reading today go back and read chapter 18 of the first Book of Kings. The Jewish king Ahab had married a pagan princess of Sidonia, Jezebel. She had a temple built to her pagan fertility god, Baal, and brought 450 of his prophets to Israel. God’s prophet Elijah prophesied a three-year famine at the end of which Elijah confronted Baal’s prophets as false and had them killed. Jezebel was furious and promised to kill Elijah.
In today’s story he is fleeing for his life. Elijah stops to rest under a broom tree and wants to die but falls asleep. Twice an angel awakens him with the order to eat a hearth cake and drink a jug of water for his 40-day and night journey to Mount Horeb.
God created our human sexual parts partially to help him continue to create the human race. In my healing ministry over the years I have run into controlling sexual (fertility) demons with their many servants. Baal has his servants to trap us and Jezebel has hers. We see her also in the negative, anti-authority side of feminism. If you have spiritual eyes you can see them all over the place trying to take us away from God’s plans for us.
The Body and Blood of Jesus offered to us each day as our "heavenly food" for our battles on earth and our heavenly journey, are necessary in this battle against the evil forces attacking us from all sides. Our baptism and other sacraments have sealed us with God power to stand against these evil forces as St. Paul tells us in the Ephesians section today.
Psalm 34 delights me and increases my desire to have the "bread of life" each day as my best meal for my work for God’s kingdom on earth. We bless, praise and glorify our Lord frequently each day. He always hears our prayers and moves to help us. Sometimes he sends extra angels to help us. As we pray and receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we become "radiant with joy," and we are not ashamed to be Catholic followers of Jesus. Amen! The psalm ends in verse 9 today with: "taste and see how good the Lord is; blessed the man (person) who takes refuge in him."
The Holy Spirit opens our minds to grasp all of these things and pierces our hearts with more of his love. This increases our joy in God’s gifts.
Have a joy-filled week.
+ Fr. Bob Hilz
(© 2015 Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR)
