It’s a mystery 1 Kgs 19:4-8; Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Eph 4:30—5:2; Jn 6:41-51 Scripture consistently encourages us to search for and learn about God. Yet when we ask difficult questions about God or our faith, we may sometimes receive a response like, “We do not know. It is just a mystery.” This type of answer can feel dismissive. It may feel as if the person is trying to hide behind the word “mystery” to avoid discussing a difficult topic. Sometimes that is the case. However, the idea that mystery refers to something we simply cannot understand does not truly reflect what mystery means in our Christian faith. The word mystery signifies something we can never stop learning about. To say, “God is a mystery,” simply means that we can never stop learning about God. Not that we should stop trying. The term mystery should not be used to shut down our curious minds and hearts. Instead, it should encourage us to think and ask questions so that we can continue to grow in love for and understanding of God. Both the Old and New Testaments affirm the importance of studying for our spiritual growth. The Psalms tell of the necessity to meditate upon God’s teaching or “torah” (Psalm 1). The book of Proverbs encourages us to look to the created world to gain insight into God and our own human experiences (30:16-33). The letters to the Ephesians and Philippians demonstrate that we are expected to grow in knowledge and love, which is perhaps the greatest path to God (Phil 1:9; Eph 3:17-19). Fortunately, this task is not a one-person job. We are called to learn about and grow closer to God, but God will also continue to help us. In the book of Proverbs, we see God’s wisdom personified as Woman Wisdom. She calls out to those who seek her (Prov 8), inviting them to a banquet (Prov 9: 1-6). Our Gospel reading today shows an example of Jesus trying to help his followers understand something about who he is. One of the themes in the Gospel of John is the misunderstanding of those who engage with Jesus, but we still see his followers wanting to understand and learn. They ask questions and try to learn from Jesus’ answers. Jesus, in return, does not tire of their questions and continues to engage with them. God will always meet us where we are at and wait for us to reach out. With Elijah we see an entirely different approach to the mystery of God. The Elijah stories are filled with wonder and miraculous deeds. Elijah can do things like resuscitate a dead child or call down fire. But in our reading today (1 Kgs 19:4-8), Elijah is exhausted and feeling defeated. Queen Jezebel is on a mission to exterminate all the prophets of Israel’s God, and she is now after Elijah. In this moment of confusion and despair, Elijah seeks God’s guidance. God’s angels minister to him in his weakened state as he waits to have his meeting with God. Elijah will wait for God on Mount Horeb. He recognizes God in a small sound and receives guidance from God that may not be what he expected (19:14-18). God can teach us in surprising ways. In our Catholic tradition, we hold that God teaches and speaks to us not only through Scripture but also in the sacraments and the writings of the magisterium. Tradition also affirms that we can learn about God through the created world: nature, animals and human beings. As God sent the prophets of the Old Testament and John the Baptist in the New Testament, God sends people today to help us grow in our faith and teach us about God. We ourselves can also be sent as teachers or guides, whether we realize it or not. Perhaps this week we can each take some time to remember and give thanks for those in our lives who have helped us probe the mysteries of our faith. May we journey with courage, knowing that God is our patient teacher and will meet us where we are.
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.