St Pius X | Friday 21 August 2020

Today is Friday the 21 August, the feast of St Pius X in the 20th week of Ordinary Time.

Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Breathe New Life’. As you listen, become aware of your own breathing now… concentrate on the breath of life that God has given you.  

Today's reading is from the Prophet Ezekiel. We will hear today’s reading in three parts throughout our reflection. Listen now to part one… 

Ezekiel 37:1-6

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’

Today’s reading from the prophet Ezekiel is a harrowing but profoundly hopeful vision of God’s desire for us to leave behind all that deadens and robs us of hope. Spend a moment now staying with that image… reflecting on the things in your life that seek to “deaden” and “rob” you of hope….

With God, nothing, however dry or lifeless it may seem, is beyond God’s touch. When have you felt the hand of God gently guiding and even carrying you…bringing you back to life?

Hear now, part two…

Ezekiel 37:7-10

So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

All of us have memories, relationships, regrets of what might have been which can feel like dry bones littering the valleys of our experience. Are there things like this in your life which you want to bring to God in this time of prayer?

We listen now to part 3…

Ezekiel 37:11-14

Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.’

The immense power of God – to bring even the dead back to life - is revealed in this passage. What do you want to say now to God knowing of God’s unfathomable love for us and for all humanity?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.