Daily Readings, Ho̔milíes, and Prayers - 07202022

Today is the Feast of the Saint Prophet Elijah, Spiritual Father of the Carmelites
Today is also the Memorial of Saint Apollinaris of Ravenna, Syrian Bishop of Ravenna

Let us begin today's Daily

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

God our loving Father,
grant us the grace
to hear what we ought to hear,
to see what we ought to see,
that we might do what we ought to do,
in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.

Today's Reading is from the Book of 1 Kings 18:34-39
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

And he said: Fill four buckets with water, and pour it upon the burnt offering, and upon the wood. And again he said: Do the same the second time. And when they had done it the second time, he said: Do the same also the third time. And they did so the third time.

And the water run round about the altar, and the trench was filled with water.

And when it was now time to offer the holocaust, Elias the prophet came near and said: O Lord God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, shew this day that thou art the God of Israel, and I thy servant, and that according to thy commandment I have done all these things.

Hear me, O Lord, hear me: that this people may learn, that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart again.

Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the holocaust, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

And when all the people saw this, they fell on their faces, and they said: The Lord he is God, the Lord he is God.

Reflection: shew this day that thou art the God of Israel

When I was young, around grade 4, I was always been fascinated about Elijah. I watched this animated film about Elijah, it was wonderful and humorous. At that age, I also learned about the Easter Vigil, and the very first Easter Vigil our family went to was in our parish. Now it had this ritual that fire would come down and I was really overjoyed remembering Elijah.

I wanted to talk about Seraphs. Seraphs are known to burn with love, burn with charity, and not just simple burning but overflowing fire because of too much Charity. They are the closest to God, and we all know that God is love. Now when we think about it, Jesus took Human Flesh above the angels (above the seraphs) and the Saints are closest to Jesus who is closest to the Father—as scripture says, Jesus wants us to be One with Him, as He is one with the Father—we could only imagine how much burning and extraordinary love the saints have in their lives on earth.

Mother Teresa mentioned that, Saint do ordinary things with extraordinary love. And when I was meditating the rosary, I think of Mary, she not just did what the Father willed but done so in extraordinary love for Jesus and Mankind. Saint Joseph loved Mary and the Child Jesus with extraordinary love of being their father. We go to Moses who held the Israelites with extraordinary love pleading to God for mercy. We look at the prophets who by will of God and extraordinary love of neighbour even unto death prophesized what the spirit said.

Now we go to Elijah, what other most extraordinary love is there than to share in God's lament over the Idolatry of the people of Israel. And he, Elijah, had loved the Lord so much, though he was downcast by the death of his other prophet friends, he took himself up and gone to do the will of God. What fire isn't there, aside from physical fire, that hasn't been burning up in him to show his Beloved to the nation of Israel.

O Blood and Water
which flowed out from the heart of Jesus
as a Fountain of Mercy for us,
I trust in You!

Prayer: Let us imitate fire, and be fire and light as Jesus had commanded us. Jesus is the Seraph above all Seraphs, the Fire of Charity that consumed the Saints. When we are consumed by this fire, people will see and know that Our God is true and living. Let us Pray.

Father, creator of unfailing fire,
make as, in a human way, a living sacrifice, a holocaust for You, for others' sins, and those souls in purgatory. Consume us with the fire of Your divine love, and make us Thine, for we are always Thine and we want nothing else than Thou my God and lord. Amen.

To You O Blessed Joseph, we have recourse to You too. For having the honour of being joined to the hearts of Mary and Jesus, we know that Your intercession is powerful too. Hear our prayers and protect us with Saint Michael the Archangel. For You are regarded as the Protector of the Church as once You have protected Jesus from mortal danger of Herod. Intercede for us, and by sacred trust, faith, and hope in You, we know that our prayers are heard with the Blessed Mother Your spouse. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

In the name of the Father, ✠
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

Credits:
📖:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18%3A34-39&version=DRA
📸:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zmXWvC9x5uU/maxresdefault.jpg