The End Of The Drought Series

Thursday of 10th Week in Course

Verbum Domini

Drought. Elijah had to get the Israelites’ attention, to help them return to the true God. Ahab and Jezebel stood in the way, worshiping the gods of the land. Yesterday we heard about the contest between Elijah and the false prophets, that ended with a mighty fire from heaven and the slaughter of the pagans. Today we hear of the prophet’s word effecting an end to the drought that had lasted three years. Note that he heard the rain before there was any rain; so his word brought on the rain, just as we say in the second Eucharistic prayer. In just a few moments, the word of God acting through the Spirit of God brings down the living Bread, the true manna, like the dewfall. Or like a thunderstorm. And we know with the psalmist that when the pastures of the wilderness flow with water, the very mountains and valleys sing together for joy.

Today I’d like to do something that will help us appreciate what the Word of God, especially the Word expressed in song, can do to symbolize and effect our unity as a community of faith. You may have noticed that on Sunday, even with the show tune that we use, the Sanctus, the thrice-Holy, comes together as it does not do on weekdays. Americans have no tradition of choral recitation, but we can sing together very well. By the time Fr. Carlos returns from the Holy Land, I hope we can be singing the Sanctus, in English, to the chant prescribed in the new Missal.

It’s not easy to find, and doesn’t appear in the pew Missals at all, but you can locate it in Gather. Please turn to number 179. I’ll line it out for you and we’ll sing it a couple of times together, then we can sing it as a community for the next few days at the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer. It will be a real sign of our oneness in faith in the presence of Christ, effected by the Word of God.