The word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: … You shall die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. Ezekiel, like many of the prophets, was concerned not only with the fate of Israel but also with the surrounding nations. They urge the… Read More »

Just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. The Feast of the Assumption says, if Christ the the firstfruits, Mary is the second fruits. Her Assumption illustrates that the… Read More »

In 1988 there were a series of wild fires in Yellowstone National Park – most of them started by lightning. More than 1/3 of the park was destroyed. Naturalists lamented that such wide-spread destruction meant that an entire generation of Americans would not see the Park in its pristine condition. How surprised they were the… Read More »

During the national debate of how to confront our besetting sin of racism you sometimes hear the remark, “But I didn’t enslave anybody.” Which is true, but somewhat irrelevant since sin has consequences. We read in Ezekiel, I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. It… Read More »

When you hear the word spirituality we tend to think of silent meditation, holy shrines, sacred spaces. Biblical spirituality is much earthier than that. Ezekiel used images of human birth as a way of encountering the presence and action of God. As for your birth, the day you were born your navel cord was not… Read More »

God gave Ezekiel instructions: During the day while they are looking on, prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on, migrate from where you live to another place. The prophets not only preached powerful sermons calling Israel to repentance, they also performed prophetic actions to catch the peoples’ attention.… Read More »

Since the Bible was written in a largely agrarian society, farm images abound. St. Paul: Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Jesus: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Living in the city those same… Read More »

 A written scroll … was covered with writing:  Lamentation and wailing and woe! He said to me: … eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel… I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. It seems curious that the prophet Ezekiel would find eating (internalizing) the message… Read More »

Ezekiel is the great prophet of the exile. Taken from homeland and after the temple is destroyed does the God of Israel still matter? Ezekiel has a powerful vision of God while in Babylon. He was surrounded with splendor. Like the bow which appears in the clouds on a rainy day was the splendor that… Read More »

There was a movie a few years ago (is thirty-six a few? I probably should stop saying “a few” shouldn’t I?) with the tag line: Be afraid. Be very afraid. This theme has lingered in our culture because there is so very much to be afraid of; and not only in our culture, but throughout… Read More »