Even though most of us have not been awake for more than four hours this morning, we have all had to make several choices since we have gotten out of bed. There is nothing strange about this because every day of our lives is a day in which we make certain choices. Life is full of choices. Some of those choices are simply the incidental episodes of our life. However, the readings for this 21st...
We hear the familiar story from the Prophet Ezekiel in which God demonstrates the power to revive the dead and make them new by imparting the Spirit. He sent his only begotten Son to show us that this is what awaits us in the future.
How we embrace that gift and participate in that salvation is explained to us in the Gospel text for today. There, Jesus states the two greatest commandments:...
Chapters 33 through 39 of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel have been subtitled, “Hope for the Future.” The reading that we hear today is certainly one that is filled with hope. Through the prophet, God promises that we will receive a new heart and a new spirit. This is followed by an unconditional statement: “You shall be my people, and I shall be your God.”
This book...
The shepherds that are criticized in the oracle delivered by Ezekiel today can be described in one word – self-seeking. Instead of caring for the sheep, they look at them as creatures that can be exploited. To be sure, sheep are usually raised in order to provide wool for our clothing and flesh for our food. Consequently, to understand the words of Ezekiel, we must look beyond the usual...
The conversation that goes on between Jesus and his apostles in today’s Gospel text follows immediately after the story of the rich young man which was proclaimed yesterday. Jesus gives us quite an image to ponder with this stark statement – imagining a camel trying to fit through the eye of a needle. Of course, Jesus was not speaking of a sewing needle. He was referring to the...