Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 18, 2018 - Saturday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Ezek 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 and Matt 19:13-15]SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2018. SATURDAY IN THE NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 and Matthew 19:13-15] The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the Land of Israel: “Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge?” As I live, say the Lord: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die. [Ezekiel] It is not uncommon to hear even today, “The sins of the parents are visited on the children.” Ezekiel takes aim at that belief in his own time. Each one is responsible for his or her own conduct. The child should not suffer because of the sins of the parents, and vice versa. In experience, we know this can happen but it is not because God is punishing the child or parent. In my experience as a campus pastor and parish mission preacher, I have heard child and parent alike speak of injuries of various kinds from one another. Some of these are wholly unintended, such as genetic characteristics or illnesses. Others come about because parents themselves were abused and learn that kind of behavior. Students complain that parents are trying to relive their own lives through their children. Parents complain that despite their best efforts, the children do not go to church or have gotten into various kinds of trouble. At least Ezekiel tells us that each must take responsibility for his or her own conduct. As we learned from the gospel passage a day or so ago, forgiveness must happen often if a family or friendship is to endure. AMEN [Note to the Beloved Congregation. I will be sending WTTW earlier during my stay here at the cloistered Dominican monastery in British Columbia. It is as if I were traveling, which you are used to, but the reason is the accessibility of internet, which is later than usual.]
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