Daily Readings - Sat Mar 23 2024
Ezekiel
21and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land.22I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms.23They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.24"'My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.25They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.26I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever.27My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.28Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'"
John
45Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.46But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.47Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.48"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."49Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all!50You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."51He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,52and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.53So from that day on they plotted to take his life.54Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.55When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.56They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple area they asked one another, "What do you think? Isn't he coming to the Feast at all?"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that illuminate God's plan of salvation and unity. The first reading from Ezekiel 37:21-28 presents a vision of restoration where God gathers the scattered Israelites, uniting them under one king and cleansing them from sin. This prophecy signifies hope and renewal, emphasizing God's covenant with His people. The second reading, John 11:45-56, shifts to the events leading to Jesus' crucifixion. The Pharisees, fearing loss of power, conspire against Jesus, and Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies that Jesus' death will unite all God's children. This passage underscores the sacrificial nature of Jesus' mission.
Ezekiel's context is one of exile and despair, offering a message of future restoration. In contrast, John's narrative is set amidst growing opposition to Jesus, highlighting the tension between human plotting and divine purpose. Both readings converge on the theme of unity—Ezekiel's united Israel and the universal unity through Jesus' sacrifice. This unity is not merely physical but spiritual, reflecting God's desire to bring all people together.
In our daily lives, these readings call us to embrace unity and trust in God's providence. Just as Ezekiel's prophecy inspired hope, we too can find hope in God's plan. Jesus' sacrifice teaches us the value of selfless love and the importance of unity over division. As we navigate our own challenges, let us strive to be instruments of unity, reflecting God's love and trusting in His plan, even when circumstances seem uncertain. May we find strength in the knowledge that God's plan is always one of restoration and unity.