Sunday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons: 7 July 2024

The Prophet Ezekiel - Image: Google Art Project

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In our readings this Sunday there is an acknowledgement that we humans are capable of dragging things downwards, from the point of view of a positive approach to life to a level of negativity, which is bound up with our notoriously cynical and stubborn attitude towards things. I reflected a bit on this when our election results showed yes, a Labour landslide, but scratching that surface discovering more negative markers, one of the worst voter turnouts for many years and in some results very small margins indeed. Hardly the triumphant voice of the whole country, when nearly 40% did not care to exercise their voting rights, it is to be hoped that the Government reflects on these missing voters and seeks to work to unite a fractured country. Now is a time for building bridges not blowing trumpets.

The same sort of apathy and ennui appears in our first and second readings today, the people of Israel may be the children of God but they have no great enthusiasm for that relationship. Ezekiel is told by the Lord to speak to a fractured, hard of heart, rebellious and revolting people. Yet there is no sense on the part of God that Ezekiel is going to transform them , or at least change their hearts immediately. It is a shame we do not include verses 6 and 7 as the end of that reading because it points out a core message that is also found in our Gospel, it goes: "But as for you, son of man, do not fear them or their words. Do not fear, even though there are briers or thorns and you sit among scorpions.* Do not be afraid of their words or be terrified by their looks for they are a rebellious house. You must speak my words to them, whether they hear or resist, because they are rebellious".(Ez 2:6,7) Can you see what God is actually suggesting here?

Perhaps if I link it with the gospel passage from Mark, where Jesus, preaching and teaching in his native place, is criticised by his own people. They know who he is but cannot take on board his message - the usual prejudices of a small town or village community surface to take over - its that stubborn, cynical, gossipy characteristic of us all, when we become complacent and spiritually and intellectually lazy. The following words certainly apply to you and me at some point in our lives: "Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honour except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,* apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith".(Mk 4: 4-6)

What I think is a rather sad truth of both readings is this, certainly for Jesus and perhaps for Ezekiel too, the people around them had seen them grow up and expected nothing more of them than they did of themselves.

So what's the message we can take from this. Firstly its as Paul tells us, acknowledge our weakness, recognise the imperfection of our lives but don't sink into despair. Know that this is the grit that turns in an oysters shell to a pearl of great price, the flaw of the diamond that makes it unique, but In human life allows us, if we become truly humble and open, to drink from the merciful love of the Saviour.

Secondly these readings are a challenge to our own faith. I have in my many years as teacher and priest times met many good Catholics parading their religious faith as though it was a set of propositions, it is easy to say I believe in articles of the creed and then simply tell others that's doctrine, but that's often laziness. It's easy to throw stones at those who challenge and investigate their faith by suggesting they are heretics, rather that spending time thinking, praying and listening to their point of view in order to learn a bit more, even if it is to disagree, that's called encounter.

Thirdly it is a call to see if we are able and willing to find salvation in the real world. By that I mean, to accept that we must look beyond our limited horizons and in the events of life, discern and seek the will of God. If anything, our first gospel reading shows us that God hasn't got many great expectations of us, because we fail so often, but that what we have is far more important, the Word of the Lord proclaimed to us again and again, the Spirit of hope and the grace of Christ. Paul tell us so in clear and unambiguous words: "but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me.Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2Cor 12: 9,10)

LECTIO

St Isaac the Syrian

Homily 64: "Do not fall into despair because of stumbling. I do not mean that you should not feel contrition for them, but that you should not think them incurable. For it is more expedient to be bruised than dead. There is, indeed, a Healer for the man who has stumbled, even He Who on the Cross asked that mercy be shown to His crucifiers, He Who pardoned His murders while He hung on the Cross. 'All manner of sin,' He said, 'and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men,' that is, through repentance."

Simone de Beauvoir

"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion."

St Louise de Marillac

"I believe that you work with one another to grow in perfection in keeping with the divine plan. All the actions of our lives can serve this purpose, even those which might appear destined to withdraw you from that intimate union with God, which you so ardently desire. Very often this union is established in us through no action of our own, in a manner known only to God, and not as we would wish to imagine it".