Word to the Wise
Saturday, April 12, 2025 - 5th Week of Lent - Sat
[Ezek 37:21-28 and John 11:45-56]Thus says the Lord God: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms. [Ezekiel] "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." [John]
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Ezekiel's hopeful vision of a united Israel after the return from exile is beautiful but history tells us that the People of Israel succeeded only partially in creating the "one nation." The Assyrians and Babylonians who destroyed the two kingdoms created after Solomon were followed by the Greeks - Alexander the Great and his generals. And they were followed by the Romans. The "one nation" was achieved, at great cost, with the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, and it has been under attack periodically ever since. But Christianity, like Judaism, is larger than the "Holy Land, " Exile and return takes on an importance that is more than political nationalism, even if that is capturing the news in our own country at the moment.
Unity is a hard-won reality not only politically but religiously. Uniformity is one of the tools used by some to try and guarantee unity. [Canon Law and Catechism?] The result is often the creation of "exiles." A recent study by a respected survey organization showed that the second largest group of Christians in the USA would be former Catholics!! Caiaphas' prophecy that "Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.." is yet to be realized. Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI both promoted a "new evangelization" aimed at bringing back the "exiles." To do this, the Church, not just institutionally but personally, must ask itself what we are inviting the "exiles" to return to? There will be many "returns" at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Will they find a true home? Each of us can make a big difference in the way we welcome them back from exile! AMEN