Ezekiel 24:15-23, Psalm (Deut.) 32:18-21, Matthew 19:16-22

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Mt 5:3

Memorial of St. Bernard, 
Abbot & Doctor of the Church

Ezekiel 24:15-23, Psalm (Deut.) 32:18-21, 
Matthew 19:16-22


Ezekiel 24:15-23

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

All the readings from the prophet Ezekiel chosen these last few weeks for the readings at Holy Mass speak directly to those whose sinful and scandalous actions have wounded deeply God's people, the Church.

Ezekiel's words seem to address these hollow straws who have desecrated the Sanctuary, the stronghold of our pride, the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul.  We gave them honor, respect, and were obedient to them. We were silent even when we did not understand or were uncomfortable, or were too afraid to speak for they used their power to trample on the innocent and silence them. You now say, "No more." God will not be mocked. The members of Your Holy Church who put their trust in them will see them cast aside, humiliated, covered in shame. 

Dressed in all their finery they will be named and shamed and the punishment long over-due shall fall upon them.

You shall do as I have done,
not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread.
Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet.
You shall not mourn or weep,
but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.

God will not be mocked nor will He remain silent forever.
Psalm (Deut.) 32:18-21

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

Now the passage from the book of Deuteronomy chosen for the Responsorial Psalm also addresses the evil rot that has been eating away at Your Bride.

Those in high places in their pride and arrogance forgot that the Church belongs to You. It is not their plaything and each one of them will be answerable. God is just and justice shall be rendered to those who have been violated, those who have suffered tremendously at the hands of those who were anointed and consecrated to help and heal.

You, my Beloved, will use the very people they sinned against and took for granted to bring them to their knees and make them acknowledge publicly how grievously they failed both God and His Church.

You were unmindful of the Rock that begot you.
You forgot the God who gave you birth.
When the LORD saw this, he was filled with loathing
and anger toward his sons and daughters.

"I will hide my face from them," he said,
"and see what will then become of them.
What a fickle race they are,
sons with no loyalty in them!"

"Since they have provoked me with their 'no-god'
and angered me with their vain idols,
I will provoke them with a 'no-people';
with a foolish nation I will anger them."
Matthew 19:16-22

My Love, Beloved of my soul,

Today in the midst of the scandal that is rocking the Church, Your Bride, You give us an answer to start over, to begin anew. You are a God of second chances. All are given an opportunity to repent, make reparation in contrition and sorrow and all are forgiven.

Today we look at the incident of the young man who approached You requesting You to show him how to receive eternal life. First You direct him to the obvious way - obedience to the commandments. He replies that he has kept them all. He was ready for a more committed, deeper discipleship, or so he thought until the moment of truth arrived.

He was not up to the challenge and today we find that those who took vows before God were not up to the challenge to keep them either.

"If you wish to be perfect, go,
sell what you have and give to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow me."

Unless, unlike the rich young man, those in high places who have failed Your Bride so gravely, heinously, and highhandedly are able to strip themselves of all artifice, ornament, and sin, and make amends publicly in sackcloth and ashes, they too will walk away sad and condemned in their rejection of integrity, holiness and purity.