Homily for Friday of 20th Week of Ord. Time,
Yr. B./Memorial of St. Pius X, Pope- Fr. Udoekpo, M
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Ezekiel 37:1-14
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Psalm 107:2-3,4-5,6-7, 8-9
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Matthew 22:34-40
Lord You Alone
Can Restore Life and Spirit (ruaḥ) to the Dry
Bones!(Ezek 37:4)
Yesterday we celebrated the memorial of St. Bernard.
Today is that of Saint Pius the X, (1835-1914). Born in Venice, became a
priest, Bishop and Pope in 1903 with an interesting motto “to renew all things
in Christ.”
This motto not only reminds us of the readings of these
past days, especially of the prophet Ezekiel’s prophecy of “new heart,” and
“new garments,” “new spirit” ( Ezek 36: 25) which we heard yesterday, but
affirms today’s prophecy of Ezekiel, that unlike he, who is mortal, human,
humble, God’s mouthpiece, God’s representative and son of man, its only God who,
who would manifest in Christ of the NT, can renew Israel, forgive Israel,
restore Israel and re-established Israel back to the lost land( Ezek 37:1-14).
Ezekiel sees and communicates this prophecy through a “vision (chazon)
of the dry bones,” as typical of many of Israel’s prophet.
Dry bones, a lifeless object in this context of Ezekiel
37, an exegetical delight to many of my biblical students, metaphorically and symbolically
represents the exiled, oppressed, the marginalized, deprived, victimized and “sinful”
Israel. Throughout this passage, Ezekiel owe our breath, Israel’s life and
spirit (ruaḥ/pneuma) to God. He is
the source of all things. For this, God deserves our praise, our love, our
thanksgiving and our acknowledgement that “he is the Lord.”
Echoes of this call to praise God, to worship him, to
adore him, who gives life and breathe to the dry bones, is heard in today’s
responsorial Psalm (Ps 107:1), “gives thanks to the Lord; for his love is everlasting.
It is also heard in the Gospel, Matthew 22:34-40 that
calls Christ’s contemporaries, especially the Pharisees and the Sadducee, and
of course, each of us today, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart and
our neighbor as ourselves (Exod 19-24; Deut 5).
Saint Pius the X, who dedicated his life defending the
purity of catholic doctrine as well promote the frequent reception of our Lord
in the Holy Eucharist, no doubt was familiar with Ezekiel prophecy of God as
the source of life to the dry bones. A loss of
Each of us, no doubt can points to different dry bones in
our lives, in our homes, in our nations, communities and institutions today.
Are they a loss of the sense of the sacred? Or of indifference to the plight of
the poor, the oppressed and the needy? Or rejection of dialogue and the dryness
of political and religious violence, war, hatred of ones’ neighbors, terrorism
or bokoharam? What about the ongoing suffering and dryness inflicted on
the globe today by corona virus pandemic? What about the pains and rejection
caused by loss of a loved one?
A complete lack of
regard for life and the dignity of human person, racism and disrespect to
nature our planet could also be counted among modern dry bones, that only God,
whom we read in the Bible and daily or frequently received in Holy Eucharist,
as promoted by Saint Pius X, can change things for us; reestablish us, restore
the ruaḥ (spirit) in us, and bring us and our community, homes,
parishes, dioceses, nations back to a newness of life in Christ!
Reflection Questions:
1.
What are our modern dry bones’ experiences?
2.
Do we trust in God as prophesied by
Ezekiel that Only God knows how to bring back life and breathe to the dry bones
(the exiled Israel)?
3.
When restored, in what ways do we
thank, adore, worship God, the source our life, livelihood and land?
