"Climb up and look out to sea," he directed his servant,
who went up and looked, but reported, "There is nothing."
Seven times he said, "Go, look again!"
And the seventh time the youth reported,
"There is a cloud as small as a man's hand rising from the sea."
Elijah said, "Go and say to Ahab,
'Harness up and leave the mountain before the rain stops you.'"
In a trice the sky grew dark with clouds and wind,
and a heavy rain fell.
Ahab mounted his chariot and made for Jezreel.
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah,
who girded up his clothing and ran before Ahab
as far as the approaches to Jezreel.
REFLECTION
But the hand of the LORD was on Elijah
When one visits the Divine Mercy Perpetual Chapel, we read, “Jesus I trust in you”.
Elijah trusted God when he told Ahab that there would be a large rainfall. St Anthony of Padua trusted in the Lord’s graces and gifts when preaching to backsliding clergy, the wickedness of man and the cruelty of man to the oppressed.
In accepting His friendship, we trust in God’s love and mercy. God would never ask us to do for Him without equipping us with the Holy Spirit. When we say, “ I could never say or do that” or ”Who am I that the Lord would choose me”, we are in essence, telling God, “ I don’t trust you to work in my life, I don’t believe your promises”. “ I refuse to share your gifts".
St Anthony of Padua lived his life for God. He said that actions speak louder than words. Sharing one of his sermons he wrote the following:
"The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages. These different languages are different ways of witnessing to Christ, such as humility, poverty, patience and obedience; we speak in those languages when we reveal in ourselves these virtues to others."(1)
St Anthony is the patron saint of the Lost and Found. Let us ask him to find us the gifts of courage, love for neighbor, patience in dealing with others.
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