Pitchers 4

Partial board from the November 9 class. As usual, comments are limited to what’s drawn, and don’t include everything that was covered.

1. Picking up from last week, Elijah flees Samaria for the safety of pagan Sidon. He stays with the widow in Zarephath, a key story which Jesus will refer to in Luke’s gospel. (1Kings 16-17)

2. A reminder that Sidon is a pagan country which worships the baby-eating false god Baal.

3. Elijah returns to Samaria, and has a showdown with 450 priests of Baal. Elijah wins. The people haul the priests down to a creek, where Elijah slits their throats. The creek runs red with their blood. Samaria returns to worship of the LORD, and the drought ends. (1Kings 18)

4. God tells old Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor. He puts his cloak over Elisha’s shoulders, which indicates Elisha selection, and also a sense of being protected, being a protege. (1Kings 19:19+) This idea of protection by covering is related to the Glory Cloud overshadowing the Meeting Tent & Tabernacle (erased). This idea will later be extended to Mary and the Holy Spirit, and the Epiclesis at Mass.

5. Elijah journeys again across the Jordan. On the way, Elisha affirms 3 times he will not abandon Elijah. They cross the Jordan on “dry ground” after Elijah strikes the water with his cloak. The kids tell me that Elijah didn’t die, but was taken up in a whirlwind. This reminds them of the other guy who didn’t die…Enoch, and also Mary. Elisha picks up the left-behind cloak, strikes the Jordan, and recrosses on “dry ground.” (2Kings 2)

Volunteers and I act out all of the Elijah & Elisha bits. If we can act things out, I usually won’t draw.

6. I briefly read a couple of Elisha’s miracles which remind the kids of both Elijah’s miracles and Jesus’ miracles. Then I start drawing as I read and tell the story of Naaman and his miracle cure in the Jordan. (2Kings 5) That’s a picture of Naaman in his horse-drawn chariot coming to Elisha’s house. After Naaman is cured, he takes a wagonload of earth back to Syria so that he may properly worship the LORD. I note that the Bible says Naaman “plunged” into the Jordan. Next week I’ll introduce the Greek word baptize, and review ritual sprinkling.

7. Elisha dies and is buried. Years later, a dead man comes back to life by being thrown on Elisha’s bones (2Kings 13: 20+). I use my chicken bone for acting this out, and we discuss saints and  relics for a couple of minutes before class lets out.

Go to Res Ipsa Loquitur 5  for the audio of this class.