"In this week's Office of Readings comes a crucial question from Elijah. It came at a time of widespread apostasy among the Jewish people. Elijah summoned a multitude to Mt. Carmel in the far north of Israel:
Elijah appealed to all the people and said, 'How long will you straddle the issue? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him.' The people, however, did not answer him (1 Kings 18:21).
"The Baals were the gods of the Canaanites. It had become expedient and popular to worship them because the ruling political leaders, the apostate King Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, had set forth the worship of the Baals by erecting altars and sacred columns. All who wished their life to go well and to have access to the levers of prosperity were surely 'encouraged' to comply. . . ..
"At a critical moment Elijah thus asked his question.
In effect he told them that they needed to decide whether to serve the
Lord God out of courageous fidelity or the Baals out of cowardly fear."
In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance of deciding who to follow and offered some related considerations.
To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:
Community in Mission: Time to Decide - A Reflection on a Question from Elijah (17 JUL 23)
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