Fed By Grace

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Feria (Green)

Today's Readings:
[ 1 Kgs 17:1-6; Ps 121; Mt 5:1-12 ]

The readings today bring together two seemingly different scenes: Elijah hiding by the wadi Cherith while ravens bring him bread and meat, and Jesus sitting on a hillside proclaiming the Beatitudes. Yet both passages reveal the same truth: God cares for those who place their trust in him, even when the world seems uncertain or hostile.

Elijah's situation was precarious. He had spoken God's word to a powerful king and now found himself isolated in the wilderness. Yet God did not abandon him. Day by day, the Lord provided exactly what was needed. Not abundance, not luxury, but enough. The ravens became unexpected instruments of divine providence. As the psalmist declares, "My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth".

Jesus echoes this same theme in the Beatitudes. The blessed are not those who possess power, wealth, or status. Rather, they are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. To worldly eyes, such people often appear vulnerable. Yet Jesus sees them differently. They are the ones who have learned to depend upon God.

From a Franciscan perspective, this dependence is not a weakness but a gift. St. Francis embraced holy poverty not because suffering is good in itself, but because letting go of self-sufficiency creates room for trust. When we cease grasping for control, we discover that God has been sustaining us all along. Like Elijah beside the brook, we learn to receive each day as a gift. Like the disciples gathered around Jesus, we learn that true blessedness is found not in what we possess, but in our relationship with God.

The world urges us to seek security through accumulation and achievement. The Gospel invites us to seek first the kingdom of God. Today, may we lift our eyes to the hills, remember the Lord's faithfulness, and trust that the One who feeds ravens and prophets alike will also provide what we need for the journey.

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