Saturday December 16, 2023

“But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased.” (From today’s Gospel reading)

Good News Reflection for:

Saturday of the Second Week of Advent
December 16, 2023

Today’s Readings:

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11
Ps 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Matthew 17:9a, 10-13
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121623.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-december-16-2023

How do we know when modern-day prophets speak truth?

In this Saturday’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of Elijah because the disciples were curious about an ancient Jewish expectation that Elijah would return to announce the arrival of the Messiah. Perhaps they wondered: Would Elijah come back from the dead? Or be reincarnated perhaps? Neither of these ideas were scriptural. And so Jesus explained the truth behind the prophecy.

It wasn’t about the person (Elijah) returning, but the purpose (Elijah’s role in salvation). As today’s first reading points out, Elijah’s purpose was to turn people’s hearts back to God, back to a right relationship (i.e., a true friendship) with God — which is exactly what John the Baptist did, as Jesus pointed out.

God is still sending out Elijahs and Johns today in the form of modern-day prophets. Who comes to your mind when you think of bold people who dare to speak the truth — loudly and clearly — despite risking their reputation? The call to repentance, restoration, and counter-cultural resistance is going out through these modern-day prophets.

If they make us uncomfortable, or if they contradict what we believe about any situation, we need to stop being so sure of ourselves. Next, we need to humbly ask the Holy Spirit what is motivating their message. And then we need to ask Jesus what he wants us to know about it. Even if they are not speaking as a true prophet, what does God want us to learn from it?

Worldly false prophets are easy to identify because their messages contradict scripture, Divine Law, and the sacredness of life. Catholic false prophets are recognizable when they additionally contradict Church teachings, i.e., true Church teachings, not what moral relativists claim them to be.

What evils are disturbing you? God is even more upset about them than you are. And therefore, you, too, are called to be a bold and daring prophet. It’s part of the divine package you received when you were baptized. Does this calling make you feel uncomfortable? We love our comfort zones! Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Ouch. We need to let our passion for conquering evil be stronger than our fear of rejection.

None of us can righteously ignore this part of our Christian calling. And now the world needs us more than ever before.

A prophet, remember, is not a fortune teller; a true prophet is the mouth of God. A successful prophet is an empathetic prophet. Many of us (myself included) need to repent from letting cowardice close our mouths. Martyrdom has become a very real possibility for us today in one form or another. We must repent of our reluctance to be rejected and persecuted. Such repentance leads to supernatural joy, which the Holy Spirit gives us so that we can be strong and courageous like Elijah and John the Baptist.

Of course, there’s a time to be God’s voice and a time to be quiet. When we repent of cowardice, we are free to become aware of God’s timing. The Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak and the passion to speak them. Similarly, we need to repent from impatience, judgmentalism, or forcefulness so that we can be motivated only by love — love of God, love of his ways, and love for the person whose soul is in danger.

The prophetic message always involves an invitation to turn back to God, to repent from whatever works against unity with Christ, and to be reconciled with the earthly Body of Christ, which is the Church. What message is on your heart that others need to hear? If the message is motivated by love, God has placed it in you because he intends to speak up about it through you.

© 2023 by Terry A. Modica

P.S. Please empower Good News Ministries to continue being a prophetic voice. Support this ministry with a heart full of courage! gnm.org/donate.

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