The prophet Ezekiel encouraged the people from the land of exile. He dreamed of a restoration to the promised land. Ezekiel had a powerful vision of the glory of God coming “from the east” toward Jerusalem. “I fell prone as the glory of the LORD entered the temple.” The problem with the vision was that… Read More »

According to our creeds we are an apostolic church, a church founded on the twelve chosen by Jesus to carry his message to the whole world. Yet, as today’s feast of St. Bartholomew illustrates, we know next to nothing about them. In fact, in St. John’s gospel Nathaniel is the name given to the friend… Read More »

“I will bring you back to your own land. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you… You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” These words of the prophet Ezekiel are the promise that God doesn’t give up. Even though the people of God continue… Read More »

“Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?” This word from the prophet Ezekiel coming while the Church in the US is reeling again with news of clergy sex abuse serves as an indictment. But in a strange way it also… Read More »

The basic difference between “the world” and the gospel is that one is about having and one is about giving.  The prophet Ezekiel criticizes the people because the are only about getting. “By your wisdom and your intelligence you have made riches for yourself” and because of that said “I am god,” I have made… Read More »

Several years ago there was an advertisement featuring John Houseman. In his stentorian tones he said, “Smith Barney gets money the old fashioned way. They earn it.” How American a concept. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You have to earn everything. That captures the problem the rich, young man was having. He… Read More »

This happened to me recently. I’m in the cafeteria line putting food on my plate. I pick up a bag of Cheetos and the person behind me says, “You know those aren’t good for you.” Of course I know they’re not good for me. I know they are junk food. But I like junk food,… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel accurately describes God’s justice: “the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.” Everyone faces judgement on the basis of their behaviors and actions, not those of the family. This is not to say, however, that we are not… Read More »

During the rite of marriage after the couple exchange vows the celebrant prays the words of Jesus: “what God has joined together, man must not separate.” That is the ideal. Reality, sadly, is that the bonds of marriage do at times unravel. Pope Francis has challenged the Church to hold onto our ideals while at… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel is told by God to “migrate from where you live to another place.” This displacement in geography will provide a lesson for the people of God. The gospel writers are also sensitive to geography. “Jesus left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.” The prophet action of Jesus being… Read More »