Word to the Wise
Saturday, August 17, 2024 - Saturday in the 19th Week in Ordinary Time
[Ezek 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32 and Matt 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, says the Lord GOD: 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]
AUGUST 17 ST. HYACINTH OF POLAND o.p.
God's word to Ezekiel changes an ancient belief among the Israelites. The sins of the parents will not be blamed on the children! An echo of that old belief appears in the Gospel According to John in the encounter with the Man Born Blind. [John 9] Jesus rejected the idea that illness or disability was a result of moral blame on the parents or the offspring.
It is true enough that our parents can impact our lives by their conduct. The children of alcoholics, for example, often live with the consequences of their parents' addiction. But the children are not punished because of that, even though they may suffer as a result. God tells Ezekiel that each person is held responsible for their own conduct. Some afflictions or addictions seem to "run" in some families for various genetic or medical predispositions. An awareness of this can help to provide early intervention. The mystery of human suffering is ever with us, but the temptation to blame God or parents or other people for our own moral failings is not in accord with our faith. AMEN