My Brothers and Sisters,

God appears to Elijah not in a grand spectacle or great show of strength like  each of us might expcct, but  in a very quiet way to let us know that He is with us, walking beside us, speaking to us through ordinary, daily, humble events, and not purely through extraordinary demonstrations of strength and might.

The lesson to be learned by those of us living in the 21^st century is this, that God does not always arrive in the way we expect, at the time we expect.  He comes when He wishes and when He knows we have a particular need.

We can see this, of course, in how He came to earth (being born not in a royal palace but in a poor stable), and in how He triumphed (not amidst joyful cheers but shamefully dying on the cross among scoffers).

You ask why. . . why in such a way?  I have no idea. All I know is that He is God and I am not.  So, let us allow our God to influence our daily lives.

Courage, my Brothers and Sisters!  Do not be afraid!

Your Priest,

Fr. Paul