In today's first reading, Ezekiel 37: 21-28, the Lord promises that there will "be one prince" for the Chosen People and that "never again shall they be two nations" and neither shall they ever again "be divided into two kingdoms.." God promises that he will deliver them from "their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God.....I will...put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the Lord, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever." In the responsorial psalm, Psalm 31:10, 11-12abcd, 13, the same promises are stated in the words: "He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them, as a shepherd his flock...he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror....I will turn their mourning into joy, and I will console and gladden them after their sorrows."
In the Gospel, John 11: 45-56, we are told that the chief priests and the Pharisees are afraid that, because Jesus' popularity is growing in leaps and bounds and more and more people are coming to believe in Him, the Romans will come and take away both their land and their nation." In the midst of all of that turmoil, Caiaphas prophesizes that "Jesus is going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to kill him." Truly, the promise made by Ezekiel that God will deliver us from our "sins of apostasy and cleanse [us]" becomes a reality--God makes us holy. When Jesus is lifted up on the cross, dies and is risen to new life, we, too, are risen to new life in Christ Jesus! At our baptisms, we truly become God's sanctuary; God dwells with us forever!
No comments:
Post a Comment