Scripture for August 14, 2006

Scripture: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28c. Psalm 148:1-2,11-14. Matthew 17:22-27:

Ezekiel is our prophet for the first readings this coming week. His vision takes place between 593-586 B.C.E, the time in which this scroll is written. We will see important themes throughout the writing: 1) the holiness and transcendence of God; 2) great respect for the Torah above all other writings, hence Ezekiel is considered the 'Father of modern Judaism." 3) The glory of the Lordship of God over all peoples; 4) the ethical teaching of individual responsibility; 5) moral and cultic demands; 6) sin and grace.

Immediately we are experiencing a theophany or manifestation of God's transcendence and glory in lines 2-5. This imagery and symbolism will be later taken up in the New Testament's final book, the Book of Revelation which reflects much of Ezekiel and Daniel. Within the theophany is the call of Ezekiel to prophesy. We read that while Ezekiel was near the river Chebar that "The hand of the Lord came upon me." Ezekiel will accept the call and continues to have visions which are then followed by his prophetic statements and actions. Thus the patter of vision and oracle will be seen as we read continuously from Ezekiel. He also is a prophet who gives us specific times and dates up to fifteen times.

In thinking about his principal way of presenting who God is, I thought of our Gloria during the Mass which extols God's holiness and sanctity. Ezekiel would like the Gloria!

Our selection from Matthew gives us the second of his three predictions of Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection. This reminds us that the Paschal Mysteries are always central in the Gospel and in our acts of reverence and worship of God.

Finally, the incident of whether Peter should pay the tax is a teaching moment for Jesus in which he shows himself not to be a member of the Zealot party who would never pay the tax to the Roman occupationists. Jesus message here is not a political statement but rather a religious and prudent lesson for his disciples who also must be good citizens. Amen.