Parish Priest Homily
Since this homily ''grows' out of the first reading – we had this Introduction:
This story tells of how the prophet Elijah called Elisha to be his successor. Elisha’s response seems ambivalent: he wants to follow, but he also wants to say goodbye to his family. Eventually, after some hesitation, Elisha takes the step of commitment, accepts the mantle of prophecy from Elijah, and follows. (I also changed the reading to take away the difficult words that distract from the story)
A reading from the book of Kings:
And the Lord said to Elijah; “Go, you are to anoint Elisha as a prophet to succeed you.
So Elijah went and came across Elisha, ploughing with twelve teams of oxen, he himself walking with the twelfth; and Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak on him.
Elisha left his team of oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you.
But Elijah said to him, “Go, go back; for what have I done to you?”
Then Elisha went back, and took the oxen and slaughtered them. He used the plough for cooking the oxen, then shared the food with his co-workers, who had a feast.
Then he got up and went after Elijah and became his servant.
The World of the Lord:
Powerpoint The following amazing image is a homily in itself!
My aim in a good homily
1. Understanding the word of God –
2. The understanding leads to a deeper encounter with God and life.
3. The encounter with God leads to growth, change, transformation.
Often when I preach my focus is on understanding – and I presume you will then take that understanding and be united with God more authentically and be transformed. Today I will touch understanding – but mostly focus on encouraging you to ‘be united’ or ‘encounter’ God through the scripture (thus the image)– and my prayer for us is that we will then experience growth, change and transformation.
Encountering God through the Scripture.
I believe all scripture is ‘inspired’ by God ... What does that word inspire mean?
Some understand that to mean that God told the biblical authors what to write – personally I don’t understand ‘inspired’ to mean that.
“In- spired” – means ‘breathed upon'; or “with Spirit” – It means the spirit of God is within these words and these stories. If we take these stories and let them get inside of us – then we let God within – and then God might mould us and lead us in a similar way to which God inspired and led the characters within Scripture!
God has used these writings through the centuries, and many other means, to guide and encourage those who wish to follow and grow.
I would like to take one of the three readings from today – and invite you to hear it as ‘inspired’ by God and for us to let the scripture story get inside of us – and then let God lead us where God will.
I’m working with the first reading - First become familiar with the story: I notice 4 moments.
1. Elisha is with many others driving teams of oxen – ploughing a field. In fact Elisha is the 12th team with 11 others in front of him.
When I was first breaking open this story with a friend, he noticed this first. I missed it on my first reading.
2. Elijah throwing his cloak upon Elisha. – this was the one that really touched me ... and I see it as a symbol of Elijah inviting Elisha to walk in his spirit – calling him to take on responsibility.
3. Then I notice Elisha torn between following and wanting to do something else – return to his parents to say goodbye.
Elijah puts no pressure on him – he heard the invitation – his response must come from within and be his own!
4. Elisha doesn’t make a 50-50 bet, but rather breaks from his past when he slaughters the oxen and uses his plough to cook them and share them with his friends. He then follows Elijah.
Our lives, invitation to take on a Spirit/responsibility, wrestling with the call, embracing the call.
Take the part of the story that speaks to you ... and pray- talk to God about it. God is within the story and as we pray it – we let God awaken parallel or similar aspects for us.
I will do it with you for a few minutes from a few angles ... but I invite you to pray this story through the week. Let God speak to us within it. What does God want to say to us through it? What do we want to say to God in response?
1. Ploughing the field ... exploring our lives.
12 teams ploughing the field. Elisha is 12th he has 11 in front of him. Lord sometimes I feel alone within my task – help me to remember the other teams around me and in front of me.
This week our Salesian provincial visited – he is certainly ploughing the field well in front of me – and gives me great example. I live with some great Salesian priests and religious such as Sr Sarah – they also are teams in front of me. I see some great married couples who plough the field of their family life in a very special way – but also contribute so much to me, the church family and to the community. They inspire me through their example.
Who are the teams around you that inspire and go before you in building God’s Kingdom? Talk to God about them ...
As I pray this story Lord I am encouraged to notice also the teams who have helped plough the field of my heart!
I think of my parents – and my grandmother whom I lived with when I was very young, a special Auntie who loved me and spoilt me in a good way, my sporting coaches and teachers, friends who influenced me powerfully at all stages of my life journey ...
Lord I give you thanks for these teams ... and I then I think of the groups who have been teams that have ploughed my heart – the Salesians, Marriage Encounter, Contemplative Prayer, Camps for youth, and more ...
I think of some of the special experiences that have ploughed my heart – working with Aboriginals in NT, my encounters with 3rd world poverty in the Philippines and in El Salvador ...
I think of the major books and authors that have ploughed my heart – they are all teams in front of me.
I remember these teams – they influence me significantly ...
Then I notice the second movement – when the ‘cloak’ has been thrown upon me. I think of Fr Bill Edwards who died this month. He was at the front of the team when I started and then as age came upon him he moved back in the field – and in his death I feel a passing of the cloak upon me. I pray I might wear his spirit which is the spirit of Don Bosco, which is Jesus spirit, and it becomes the spirit within me.
I pray this week – and reflect that many cloaks have been thrust upon me – I wrestle with which ones are from God for me? Which ones are because I am too weak to say ‘no’? Which ones do I take on out of pride – to look good in human eyes?
Lord I pray I can know your spirit within them for me ...
You might like to join me, in the meditation . . . .
Begin by imagining yourself standing outside your own home, beneath a brilliant starry sky. Take in the splendour and the immense space stretching out above you. Beyond our grasp. Beyond measurement. Out of reach. An image of the infinite, yet connected to us as surely as we are connected to every other created thing.
Feel the thrill of being located at your own unique place in this immensity. Feel the thrill of being part of God’s plan in your place.
Now hear the word of Scripture. Elijah is calling Elisha - God is calling you.
Imagine the field is your life. The field is being ploughed and you have your own plough – and you are working hard as part of a family, part of this community. Your hands are on the plough, and your feet are heavy with the earth. Perhaps you feel that you are carrying out this gigantic task all alone. But look ahead of you. See the eleven teams of oxen that Elisha saw. You are not alone. You are part of a long line of life and of meaning.
Who, or what, is in your line of oxen teams? Think of significant people who have made an important difference to your life. Some of them may be among the first disciples and saints. Some may be in your recent past. Some may be walking alongside you today. These are people who have helped to form your life. They have helped to provide the pulling power for your plough. And they have helped to guide its progress.
Not just people, but important moments, events, decisions or experiences will have formed your life. Remember them. See how they have moved you on, or possibly corrected your direction.
If you ask a farmer how he ensures that he is ploughing a straight row he will give you this advice: Fix your eyes straight ahead, on some fixed point on the horizon - a tree perhaps - and keep moving steadily towards it. Don’t watch the line you are ploughing. Just keep your hands on the plough and your eyes on that fixed point. What are your fixed points?
Our faith reminds us Jesus is our fixed point. He is at the head of each one of our personal lines of oxen teams. It is his risen life and energy that provides the power for our every movement. But he gives us, too, our own personal teams of people (past and present), and landmarks and signpost for our unique journey.
Remember your line of earthly oxen teams and see them as a reflection of God's personal shaping of your life, mapped out in the infinity of his heart.
Gently return to your place in the here and now, strong in the knowledge that you do not plough the field alone, and that the story of your life will lead you back through your special landmarks to God himself.
I have only touched part 1 with you ... I encourage you to let God lead you through steps 2,3 and 4 as well ...
I hope that in this meditation you will have been able to get in touch with some of the other teams in your life. I commend to you the task of discerning your faith story for it is a sacred task. Learn to know your oxen teams. Be thankful for them. Watch with steady courage the ones who plough ahead of you and receive, in faith and love, the cloak they place over you.
Then wrestle with our tensions and our excuses.
Then wrestle with our commitment to God.
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Pray the scripture and encounter God.
Pray the scripture grow and be transformed.
Post script for readers ...
We all-draw energy and guidance from the personal ‘wisdom figures’ who have ploughed ahead of us along our life journey. We are all called to watch steadily, just as a relay runner watches carefully the approach of the one who will hand the baton to him to carry forward, or as an Olympic torchbearer watches as his turn approaches, to carry the flame onwards for the next lap of the journey home. If we watch steadily, we will plough sure and straight, and the energy of love and life and wisdom that has guided us, will pass in some way into, and through, our own hearts. It is given to us not just for our own sake, but also for the sake of those who will follow after.
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