These days we are reading the story of Elijah. Elijah was a revolutionary character, a strict guardian of the traditions of Moses, who opposed all the degenerations of the Jewish religion.

He was a loner, even a little strange. All alone he fought against the court of Samaria, against King Ahab and his cruel wife Queen Jezebel, against the prophets of Baal whom he defeated and taunted in the famous challenge of Mount Carmel. Unfortunately Elijah overdid and killed all 450 prophets – God didn’t ask him it. The queen got angry and wanted to kill him. Elijah run away went into the desert, distressed and disappointed, frightened by the threats of the mighties and disheartened by the betrayal of the people. The Lord nourished him with a prodigious bread that gave him the strength to face a pilgrimage to the sources of the covenant, that is, to Mount Sinai or Horeb, where a few centuries earlier the Lord had made a covenant with the people through Moses.

Arriving at the mountain of God, Elijah entered a cave to spend the night there. Thus begins today’s story, a simple tale, full of poetry. The cave is a symbol that recalls the womb, it speaks to us of recollection, but also of isolation and closure: the prophet is all wrapped in his own problems, in the dark womb of the earth. In that context of anguish he heard the voice of the Lord who questioned him about his motivations. Elijah vented repeating his fixed ideas, and the Lord answered with two imperatives. It was an interior voice that said to Elijah: “Go forth” or better “Go out” and “stand… before the Lord”.

This two imperatives are a strong suggestions for ourselves. How many times are we experiencing the same disappointment, the same distress of Elijah? How many times do we see that, despite of our efforts, nothing is changing in ourselves or in others? All this both at human level and spiritual level. I often think of Pope Francis. How many efforts is he doing to change the mentality of priests and religious, so that they come back to a more radical way of life? Yet, who is listening to him? Who is listening his appeals for peace? I don’t if he is disappointed (I would be disappointed in his place). Anyway each of us knows his disappointments, everyone has theirs own.

Don’t be afraid! The prescription that the Lord gave to Elijah and that is always valid to heal our spirituality is: “Do not abide closed in on yourself, go out, go ahead, stay in my presence, listen to me, you still have to learn many things, be docile, please!”

The typical manifestations of God in the Old Testament were storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions. Perhaps Elijah, impetuous as he was, was expecting such manifestations. But this time it is different. God is not in the impressive and noisy manifestations. “Qol demamah daqqah”. “A still small voice” or better “a voice of small silence”. The word of God was perceived in the light silence of a presence that loves: Elijah recognized this presence and, out of respect, wrapped his face and obeyed, went out and stood before the Lord. Elijah welcomed the Lord and let himself be changed. A new mission was awaiting him.

So, my brother, my sister, if you are going through a bad moment and you feel down, if your faith is wavering, if you don’t see the horizon, if you are not able to get up, I want to tell you that the Lord is coming to give you strength with his Word, with his Bread. So, stand up, start walking again, in silence to meet the Lord and then go on the mission of announcing his message to others. This is the life of every Christian.

It would be nice to comment on today’s Gospel that touches on the delicate subject of adultery. I don’t have time to do it now but I recommend to each of you, priests, religious, seminarians, and lay people to read numbers 304 and 305 of the Exhortation Amoris Lætitiæ. If anyone has a hard time finding it, just ask me and I will be happy to help him. And I recommend once again to my little brothers who are preparing to become religious and priests: when one day you will administer the sacrament of Reconciliation, “be merciful just as your Father is merciful”. (Lk 6:36)