First Reading for Common of Holy Men and Women - Daily Catholic Mass Reading

1 Kings 19:4-9a, 11-15a

Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a solitary broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: “This is enough, LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat!”

He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too long for you!”

He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

There he came to a cave, where he took shelter.

Then the LORD said: Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.

There was a strong and heavy wind rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD—but the LORD was not in the wind; after the wind, an earthquake—but the LORD was not in the earthquake; after the earthquake, fire—but the LORD was not in the fire; after the fire, there was a tiny whispering sound.

When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, "Why are you here, Elijah?"

He replied, “I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts, but the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant. They have destroyed your altars and murdered your prophets by the sword. I alone remain, and they seek to take my life.”

The LORD said to him: "Go, take the road back to the desert near Damascus."

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