Daily Readings - Fri Aug 21 2020
Ezekiel
1The hand of the Lord was set upon me, and he led me away in the Spirit of the Lord, and he released me in the midst of a plain which was full of bones2And he led me around, through them, on every side. Now they were very many upon the face of the plain, and they were exceedingly dry3And he said to me, "Son of man, do you think that these bones will live?" And I said, "O Lord God, you know.4And he said to me, "Prophesy about these bones. And you shall say to them: Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will send spirit into you, and you shall live6And I will set sinews upon you, and I will cause flesh to grow over you, and I will extend skin over you. And I will give you spirit, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the Lord.7And I prophesied, just as he had instructed me. But a noise occurred, as I was prophesying, and behold: a commotion. And the bones joined together, each one at its joint8And I saw, and behold: sinews and flesh rose up over them; and skin was extended over them. But they had no spirit within them9And he said to me: "Prophesy to the spirit! Prophesy, O son of man, and you shall say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: Approach, O spirit, from the four winds, and blow across these ones who were slain, and revive them.10And I prophesied, just as he had instructed me. And spirit entered into them, and they lived. And they stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army11And he said to me: "Son of man: All these bones are the house of Israel. They say: ‘Our bones are dried out, and our hope has perished, and we have been cut off.12Because of this, prophesy, and you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your tombs, and I will lead you away from your sepulchers, O my people. And I will lead you into the land of Israel13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I will have opened your sepulchers, and when I will have led you away from your tombs, O my people14And I will place my Spirit within you, and you shall live. And I will cause you to rest upon your own soil. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and acted, says the Lord God.
Matthew
34But the Pharisees, hearing that he had caused the Sadducees to be silent, came together as one35And one of them, a doctor of the law, questioned him, to test him36"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?37Jesus said to him: " ‘You shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind.38This is the greatest and first commandment39But the second is similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.40On these two commandments the entire law depends, and also the prophets.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful visions of renewal and love. Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the dry bones reminds us of God’s promise to restore life and hope to His people. The bones, once dry and lifeless, are transformed by the Spirit of God, rising as a vast army—a testament to God’s power to revive even in the darkest of times. This vision was directed to the exiled Israelites, who felt hopeless and disconnected from God, their bones “dried out” and their spirits crushed. Ezekiel’s prophecy reassures them that God will not abandon them; He will open their tombs and bring them back to life, placing His Spirit within them.
In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the heart of God’s law. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus responds by emphasizing love—love for God with our entire being and love for our neighbor as ourselves. These two commandments, He says, are the foundation of all the law and the prophets. This teaching cuts through the complexities of religious debates and gets to the core of what it means to follow God. Just as Ezekiel’s vision shows God’s Spirit bringing life to dry bones, Jesus shows us that love is the Spirit that animates all of life and faith.
These readings remind us that our faith is rooted in hope and love. Just as God promised to breathe new life into the exiles, He promises to breathe new life into us when we feel dry and hopeless. And just as Jesus taught, this new life is expressed in love—love for God and love for one another. Let us ask ourselves: Where in our lives do we feel like dry bones, devoid of hope or vitality? How can we allow God’s Spirit to revive us? And how can we live out the commandment to love, not just in grand gestures, but in the everyday moments where we encounter our neighbors? May we trust in God’s promise to bring life out of death and may we strive to love as He has loved us.