INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 2nd Saturday in Advent is, “Elijah Returns.”
We who come to a lot of Masses - weekdays and Sundays - know that the name Elijah shows up many times. To be exact I checked The New American Bible and Elijah’s name is used 114 times - and in the gospels mostly in the Christian Scriptures.
While living - in the mid 800’s B.C. - Elijah is famous for challenging Israelites who had lost sight of God - the God of their ancestors - the God who had saved them by leading them out of Egypt - but now they adapting to and following false Gods.
AFTER ELIJAH’S DEATH: RETURNS AND SIGHTINGS
In our day and in our culture, there are jokes about Elvis sightings. There are many stories about Elijah sightings in Israel after his death. They became legendary in Jewish history and culture. So is it any wonder that Elijah becomes part of the Christian story and culture? People wondered and questioned if John the Baptist - as well as Jesus - were Elijah returned.
We’re moving into the middle of Advent - Advent meaning, "coming" - so is it any wonder that Elijah is featured? We hear about whether John the Baptist who is pointing to the coming of the Lord - or Jesus is Elijah returned.
LAST NIGHT
Last night I went through different books to get a take on Elijah for a short sermon for this morning. He’s mentioned in both readings. I like saying Mass - because if gives me an opportunity to take new looks at readings I hear year after year - and do some study for a homily.
Two things hit me.
First of all: the Elijah return stories and legends indicate and establish than many Jews believed that people exist after death.
Secondly, the several Elijah stories tell me that the Jewish people were waiting for Elijah to return.
ONE EXAMPLE: A STORY
Let me tell one example or legendary story of an Elijah sighting or an Elijah return that I found last night. There are many. Hearing this one, I hope you’ll understand why the Christian scriptures have people wondering if Jesus or John the Baptist was Elijah returning.
Here’s how this story goes. I found it in a big book entitled, The Book of Legends - Sefer Ha-Aggadah, Legends from the Talmud and Midrash. (1)
The story is told of a pious man whose wife was virtuous. He lost his possessions and became a hired farm worker. One day, as he was plowing in a field, Elijah, disguised as an Arab, and ever remembered on good occasions, met him and said, “You have 6 good years coming to you. When do you wish them, now or at the end of your days?”
The pious man replied, “You must be a sorcerer. I have nothing to give you. Leave me in peace.”
But Elijah returned three times and asked the same question.
Finally, the third time, the pious man said, “I will go and talk to my wife.”
He went to his wife and told her, “Someone came to me. He pestered me three times, saying, ‘You have 6 good years. When do you wish them? Now or near the end of your days?’ What do I say?”
She replied, “Go tell him, ‘Bring them now.’”
So the pious man went back and said to Elijah, “We’ll take them now.”
Elijah replied, “Go to your house, and before you reach the gate of the courtyard, you will find blessing spread upon your home.”
It so happened that his children were just then sitting outside and sifting dirt through their fingers. Suddenly they found enough money to sustain them for six years, so they called to their mother.
Even before the pious man reached the gate, his wife came out to meet and greet him with the good tidings.
He immediately thanked the Holy One, for he was greatly relieved.
Now what did his virtuous wife do? She said to him, “As things stand, the Holy One has already twinned our lives with the thread of mercy in that He has given us sustenance to last for 6 years, so let us practice deeds of loving kindness during these years. Perhaps the Holy One will continue to give us more out of His plentiful bounty.”
So that is what she did. Each and every day. whatever she gave to the poor, she told her youngest son, “Record every item we dispense,” and he did so.
At the end of six years Elijah, ever remembered on good occasions, came back and said to the pious man, “The time has come to take away what I gave you.”
The pious man replied, “When I took it, I took it only with my wife's advice. Now that I am to return it, I will return it only with my wife's advice.”
He went to her and said, “The old man has come back to take away what is his.”
The wife replied, “Go tell him, ‘If you find human beings more reliable than we are, give them what you left in trust with us.”
When the Holy One considered these words and the acts of charity they had performed, He gave them blessing after blessing to fulfill what is said: “Works of charity shall convey peace.” [Isaiah 32:17.”]
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily was, "Elijah Returns."
Hopefully by hearing that these stories were part of Jewish legends and traditions, we would expect them in Jesus’ times as well. And we do - as in these Advent readings in which we hear various references to Elijah.
NOTES
Picture on top: The Prophet Elijah - first half or middle of the 15th centruy. The Karelian Fine Arts Museum - Petrozavodsk, Russia
(1) Hayim Hahman Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky, The Book of Legends, Sefer Ha-Aggadah, Legends from the Talmud and Midrash, translated by William G. Braude, Schocken Books, New York, 1992.
