In the first reading from the book of Kings, God called Elisha to become a prophet. He was hard at work plowing in the fields when the prophet Elijah suddenly showed up and threw his cloak over him. This indicated that God had chosen him to be his successor. Elijah put his cloak over his shoulders and that was that. Elisha didn’t seemed to have been frustrated at the short notice, but was eager to begin his new life as a prophet. It seemed pretty cut and dried with Elijah as well, because he didn’t hang around too long after giving Elisha the news. Elisha had to chase him down to tell him that he needed to say goodbye to his parents first, and then he would follow him.
What is really interesting about this story, is that Elisha slaughtered his oxen, then he set fire to the plowing equipment and cooked the meat to give to the people to eat. Then, he left and followed the prophet Elijah. It’s hard to imagine this. About the only thing we could compare it to, is that it might be similar to leaving our home permanently with no place to store our possessions, so we give away everything we have to our friends, family and neighbors. There would probably be some fresh food on hand that would have to be used up, so we might throw a dinner for our friends and family like Elisha did. It’s a good idea to give away our fresh food anyway, just before we leave on a trip. At least someone could get some use from it. Seniors are usually grateful for gifts of food like this because they are often on a tight budget.
Something little that could be easily missed in the first reading, is how Elisha was set free from a yoke that held him in bondage, working in the fields all day. His heart might not have been in this type of work, and that might be one reason he immediately left everything and ran after the prophet Elijah. Anyone that has ever felt trapped in a job they hate, should draw some comfort from these verses in scripture, because things do not always stay the way they are forever. Perhaps Elisha prayed to serve God in a different capacity and God heard his prayer?
Evidently Elisha was not married and didn’t have a family to support, when God called him to be the replacement for the prophet Elijah, so he was released from his normal obligations in daily life because God called him. It’s the same way with our priests and religious in the Catholic church as well. They leave their former lives and the expectations others may have had for them, in order to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, by the gift of their lives.
(It’s hard to picture our clergy cooking, and cleaning, and doing yard work though! They say that Pope Francis cooked his own meals and road the bus, so it’s possible their lives are a little more normal than we suspect.)
When God called Elisha though, he did not hesitate, even for a moment, and he never looked back. Elisha’s wholehearted response to God’s call made him a worthy representative for God. Christ sought men such as Elisha, to be his disciples, and he still does. If there is a young man or a young woman reading these words today, who is single and have begun to feel the first nudges by the Holy Spirit to become a priest or religious, then please pay close attention to today’s readings. Trust your instincts, and when you make a decision one way or the other, accept it, and feel confident that you made the right choice. Don’t second guess yourself.
This is what Jesus is talking about in today’s gospel too. Don’t take a vow lightly, whether it is our vows in matrimony, or in holy orders as a priest, or in the consecrated life as a religious brother or sister. A lot of prayer and careful thought should be given before any of us makes a permanent commitment in our lives, but once we do, we should honor it.
The words Jesus said in the gospel have a lot of meaning in many other circumstances too, “Let your Yes mean Yes and your No mean No. Anything else is from the Evil One.”
The scriptures today remind us not to give our word lightly, but after we do, then we are supposed to follow through on it, and honor what we said.
Daily Mass Readings:
Kings 19: 19-21 / Psalm 16 / Matthew 5: 33-37
