Lectionary:
451“And now, but a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,
who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our eyes and given us relief in our servitude.
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life….
For slaves we are, but in our servitude our God has not abandoned us;
rather, he has turned the good will
of the kings of Persia toward us.
Thus he has given us new life….
The scriptures today are
rich with good news. The first reading from the Book of Ezra celebrates the
permission the Emperor has granted to the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem and the
temple. Ezra sees the hand of God in the empyreal decree; the Lord has forgiven
the sins of his people. After long years of suffering, poverty and exile the Lord
has seen fit to restore them to their homeland.
The world has seen
thousands of cities and as many religions vanish from the earth, taking their
peculiar religions with them. But our God does not disappear into history and
his people keep faith with him. With the emperor’s permission, the priest Ezra
and the emperor’s governor Nehemiah re-founded the Jewish religion in the city
and its temple. Jews in Africa, Asia and Europe would hear the good news and return
to the city on pilgrimage, as they have to this day.
In today’s gospel, Jesus
sends his disciples throughout Judea on those same pilgrim roads to
announce the Kingdom of God. They go before him as he approaches the Holy City.
Eventually, after his crucifixion and resurrection, he will send them from Jerusalem
into the whole world.
The prayer of Ezra
celebrates an enormous sense of relief; God has forgiven our sins. He is sure
of that as he reads the emperor’s decree.
We know it from our sacraments,
especially of Baptism, Penance and Eucharist. In fact all of our sacraments
give us enormous assurance of forgiveness. They “effect what they signify.” The
troubled man who believes his wife’s reassurances knows the mercy of God. The
ailing patient who receives the Anointing of the Sick feels forgiveness by the
priest’s touching the crown of her head, her forehead and hands.
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| Item for the Silent Auction at the MSF Picnic |
The Lord sends us into
the farthest corners of the earth and the deepest recesses of our hearts to
announce, “He has given us new life.”
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.