Rehefa niverina i Elià

NY TENY IZAO MOMBA NY VAKIN'NY MASY
ho an'ny 16 Jona - 21 Jona 2014
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Elia

HE dia iray amin'ireo mpaminany nanan-kery indrindra tamin'ny Testamenta Taloha. Raha ny tena izy, ny fiafarany eto an-tany dia saika mitombina amin'ny toetr'andro, ary… tsy nanana fiafarany izy.

Raha nandeha nandeha nifampiresaka izy ireo, dia nisy kalesy mirehitra sy soavaly mirehitra tonga teo anelanelany, ary i Elia dia niakatra tany an-danitra tamin'ny tadio. (Famakiana alarobia voalohany)

Ny lovantsofina dia mampianatra fa i Elia dia nakarina tany amin'ny "paradisa" izay niarovana azy tamin'ny kolikoly, fa ny asany eto an-tany dia tsy nifarana.

You were taken aloft in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with fiery horses. You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, To turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob. (Thursday’s first reading)

The prophet Malachi likewise echoes this theme, giving a more precise time frame:

Ary ankehitriny Izaho naniraka an'i Elia mpaminany ho any aminareo, dieny tsy mbola tonga ny andron'i Jehovah, dia ny andro lehibe sady mahatahotra; Ary hampodiny ho an'ny zanany ny fon'ny ray, ary ny fon'ny zanaka ho amin'ny rainy, fandrao avy aho ka mamely ny tany amin'ny fandringanana tanteraka. (Ml 3: 23-24)

Hence, the Israelites had a great expectation that Elijah would be a key figure who would bring about the restoration of Israel, heralding in the reign of the expected Messiah. So during Jesus’s ministry, the people often questioned whether He was in fact Elijah. And when Our Lord was crucified, the people even called out, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to save him.” ^[1]jer. Matt 27:49

The expectation that Elijah will return has been, as mentioned, clearly enunciated in the Church Fathers and Doctors. And not only Elijah, but Enoch, who likewise did not die, but “was translated into paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations." ^[2]cf. Sirach 44:16; Douay-Rheims St. Irenaeus (140-202 A.D.), who was a student of St. Polycarp, who in turn was a direct disciple of the Apostle John, wrote:

The disciples of the Apostles say that they (Enoch and Elijah) whose living bodies were taken up from the earth, have been placed in an earthly paradise, where they will remain until the end of the world. — St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, Liber 4, Cap. 30

St. Thomas Aquinas affirmed that:

Elijah was raised into the aerial, not the empyrean heaven, which is the abode of the Saints, and in like manner Enoch was carried away to a terrestrial paradise, where he and Elijah, it is believed, will live together until the coming of the Antichrist. -Summa Theologica, iii, Q. xlix, art. 5

Hence, the Church Fathers saw Elijah and Enoch as the fulfillment of the “two witnesses” described in Revelation 11.

Ireo vavolombelona roa, raha izany, dia hitory telo taona sy tapany; ary i Antikristy dia hiady amin'ireo olo-masina mandritra ny herinandro sisa ary handrava izao tontolo izao… —Hippolytus, Rain'ny fiangonana, Ireo sanganasa sy sombin'ny Hippolytus maharitra, "Ny hevitr'i Hippolytus, evekan'i Roma, momba ny fahitan'i Daniela sy Nebokadnezara, nalaina niaraka", n.39

But what of Jesus’ words regarding Elijah as having already come?

“Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. (Matt 17:11-13)

Jesus provides the answer Himself: Elijah ho avy ary manana already come. That is, the restoration of Jesus began with His life, death, and resurrection, heralded by John the Baptist. But it is His vatana mistika that brings the work of redemption to completion, and it is this which will be heralded by the man, Elijah. The prophet Malachi states that he will come alohan'ny the “day of the Lord”, which is not a 24 hour period, but symbolically referred to in Scripture as a “thousand years.” ^[3]cf. Andro roa fanampiny The “era of peace” then, is the restoration of the Church and world, the preparation of the Bride of Christ that the Two Witnesses help bring about by their incredible intervention at the peak of evil.

…when the Son of Perdition has drawn to his purpose the whole world, Enoch and Elijah shall be sent that they might confute the Evil One. —St. Ephrem, Syria, III, Col. 188, Sermo II; cf. dailycatholic.org

It is “before” the Day of the Lord, or at least its apex, that Elijah is to appear and turn the hearts of fathers to their sons, that is, the Jews to the Son, Jesus Christ. ^[4]cf. The Coming Wave of Unity Likewise, Enoch will preach to the Gentiles “until the full number of the Gentiles comes in.” ^[5]cf. Rom 11: 25

Enoka sy Elia… velona na dia ankehitriny aza ary mbola ho velona mandra-pahatongany hanohitra ny Antikristy ny tenany, ary hiaro ny olom-boafidy amin’ny finoana an’i Kristy, ary amin’ny farany dia hampiova fo ny Jiosy, ary azo antoka fa tsy mbola tanteraka izany. — St. Robert Bellarmine, Liber Tertius, P. 434

But just as John the Baptist was “filled with the holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb” and went forward “in the spirit and power of Elijah”, so too I believe God is raising a small army of “witnesses.” Souls who are being formed in the womb of Our Blessed Mother to go forth in spirit and power beneath the prophetic mantle of Elijah, of John the Baptist. St. Pope John XXIII was one such soul who felt called to begin the restoration of the people of God, to make them into a holy people prepared to meet the Bridegroom:

Ny asan'ny Papa Jaona manetry tena dia ny "miomana ho an'ny Tompo olona tonga lafatra", izay mitovy amin'ny asan'ny Batista, izay mpanolo-tsaina azy ary mitondra ny anarany. Ary tsy azo atao ny maka sary an-tsaina ny fahatanterahana lehibe kokoa sy sarobidy kokoa noho ny fandresen'ny fihavanana kristiana, izay fandriampahalemana am-po, fandriam-pahalemana amin'ny filaminana ara-tsosialy, fiainana, fahatsarana, fifanajana, ary fifankatiavan'ny firenena . —POPE JAONA XXIII, Tena Fihavanana Kristiana, 23 Desambra 1959; www.catholicculture.org

It is also significant that Our Lady of Medjugorje has allegedly come under the title “Queen of Peace” — apparitions that began on the feast day of John the Baptist. All of these signs may very well be forerunners for when Elijah returns, and perhaps sooner than many think.

Like a fire there appeared the prophet Elijah whose words were as a flaming furnace… Fire goes before him and consumes his foes round about. His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles. (Thursday’s first reading and Psalm)