First reading Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4,9-12
The prophet Elijah will come again
The prophet Elijah arose like a fire,
his word flaring like a torch.
It was he who brought famine on the people,
and who decimated them in his zeal.
By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens,
he also, three times, brought down fire.
How glorious you were in your miracles, Elijah!
Has anyone reason to boast as you have?
Taken up in the whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with fiery horses;
designated in the prophecies of doom
to allay God’s wrath before the fury breaks,
to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children,
and to restore the tribes of Jacob,
Happy shall they be who see you,
and those who have fallen asleep in love.
Responsorial Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19
God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
shine forth from your cherubim throne.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
O Lord, come to our help.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
the vine your right hand has planted.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again;
give us life that we may call upon your name.
Gospel Matthew 17:10-13
Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him
As they came down from the mountain the disciples put this question to Jesus, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True;’ he replied ‘Elijah is to come to see that everything is once more as it should be; however, I tell you that Elijah has come already and they did not recognise him but treated him as they pleased; and the Son of Man will suffer similarly at their hands.’ The disciples understood then that he had been speaking of John the Baptist.
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God’s ways
In today’s gospel, the disciples ask Jesus about Elijah’s return—an expectation deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. Jesus reveals that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist, yet the world did not recognise him. Instead of receiving him as God’s messenger, they rejected and mistreated him. What God sent in quiet humility, the world looked for in glory and power. What God offered as a sign of His presence, the world dismissed as insignificant.
This moment reveals a profound truth: God’s ways often arrive hidden and unassuming, while the world seeks what is impressive, loud, and strong. Like the people of John’s time, we too can fail to recognise God’s presence because we are looking in the wrong places. We expect God to act according to our assumptions, through dramatic interventions, immediate solutions, or outwardly impressive signs. Yet God continues to come in hidden ways: in silence, in smallness, in daily faithfulness, in the unnoticed good we do for others.
Reflective question:
Do I miss His presence in ordinary people or simple events because they do not fit the world’s standards of greatness?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
