The Promise of God's Return to the Temple

Homily for Saturday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

Ten days ago we read Ezekiel’s oracle in which he described how the glory of God left the Temple on the wings of the Cherubim. In today’s reading, the last in our traversal of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, the glory of God returns to the Temple. However, this is no longer the Temple of Solomon. Ezekiel is telling of the promise of the eventual return of the children of Israel after more than seventy years in exile. God has promised to create a new Israel which will be led by God’s spirit.

On Thursday, we read of a new natural heart and a new spirit which would replace the stony hearts of the Israelites. Yesterday we read of how the spirit had brought life to the desiccated, bleached bones of Israel. The people have been given new life and a new spirit. They are urged to respond to God’s mercy by pledging their obedience to God’s Law.

We know that the tale of Israel’s rescue from Babylon did not produce the desired effect. Although they started out on the right path, they soon turned away again and started to obey the letter of the Law without paying attention to the spirit of the Law. According to Jesus the Pharisees in particular have become obsessed with widening their phylacteries, with securing places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets, and with acquiring titles of honor. While observing the smallest dictates of the Law, they have forgotten the heart of the Law – love of God and love of neighbor.

Jesus is God’s response to this behavior to live in our midst and to create a New Jerusalem and a new covenant, a covenant created by the shedding of his blood, by his death on a cross. Each time we come to this table, we recall that covenant relationship and work to become the people God intended us to be.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator