Saturday of the second week of Advent - 16 December 2023 - Sirach

Normally, we hear from the prophet Isaiah in our first readings at Daily Mass during Advent. Today, we hear from the Sirach, a book of wisdom literature. This book is a part of the Catholic Bible, but not the Protestant Bible. It was originally written in Hebrew by the scribe Ben Sirach around the years 200 to 175 BC, and then translated into Greek. Today, Sirach writes about the prophet Elijah. Elijah is praised as the prophet of the Northern Kingdom who prophesied in the name of God against King Ahab in the 9th century before Christ. Elijah denounced the worship of the foreign idol Baal. Elijah’s dramatic story is found in the First Book of Kings in chapters 17 - 19 and in chapters 1 - 2 of the Second Book of Kings. Elijah is supposed to come back to earth one day to signify the imminent coming of the Messiah, which is why we hear this reading during Advent today. In the Gospel, Jesus addresses the return of Elijah, but also names John the Baptist as the precursor of the coming of the Messiah. The prophets prepared the way for the coming of the Lord. In our words and actions, we, too, are to prepare for his coming. Blessings to all of you - Father Lincoln.

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

In those days, like a fire, there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace. Their staff of bread he shattered, in his zeal he reduced them to straits; By the Lord’s word he shut up the heavens and three times brought down fire. How awesome are you, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. Blessed is he who shall have seen you and who falls asleep in your friendship.

Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.