King of the Universe
November 23, 2014
Dear Readers
This is the final Reflection on Lectoring
For the past three years, God has given me the privilege
of writing weekly reflections on the Scriptures and on the ministry of those who
proclaim them. For that I am deeply
grateful. I am also grateful to all of you who have allowed me to share these
reflections with you.
Perhaps the most important lesson I have learned along
the way involves two important aspects of effective lectoring:
First, we can’t do it alone. The Holy Spirit is our most
important guide. He is our advocate, our
supporter, the one who makes each proclamation of the Scriptures genuine.
The second is like the first: we can’t do it alone. A connection in love with our fellow
worshipers at Mass is the one thing that makes real sharing possible. When the people in the assembly sense you
love them, they know that the words you speak are genuine.
For effective lectoring there is no need for
extraordinary public speaking skills.
There is only the need for extraordinary love.
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First Reading - Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
A King Who Cares
Today’s first reading is a ringing rejection of the idea
that God is a hands-off God, an impersonal God who set the world in motion, but
now remains aloof as history and events unfold.
Chapter 34 of Ezekiel portrays God at his most
forceful. It starts with God vehemently condemning
the venal rulers of Judah. He is furious
that his chosen people - the people whom he loves - have been abandoned,
victimized and scattered by their evil rulers.
If the rulers of Judah can’t or won’t serve as responsible shepherds, he
will.
God refers to himself with the word “I” eleven times in
our reading and thirty-two times throughout the chapter. He both punishes evil and is deeply moved by
the needs of his flock. He is not at all
indifferent to what his people are experiencing. Neither is he a passive God, but a personally
involved God.
Today’s Gospel reinforces the image of a God who is
directly involved in the everyday concerns of people’s lives. He is concerned for those who are hungry and
thirsty, for those who are naked, and for those who are lonely.
In Old Testament times, pagan Gods were capricious, self-absorbed,
and had to be placated. Our God and King
is different. As he says in our first
reading, “As a shepherd tends his flock
when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.”
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First Reading - 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 28
A King Who Cares, Part Two
“The
last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
Today’s second reading takes God’s caring for us to the highest
level. Not only does he care about what
we shall eat or drink, or where we shall live, or who will attend to us when we
are sick. Most importantly, he cares
about our eternal life.
St. Augustine once wrote, “Our heart is restless until it
rests in Thee.” Food and clothing and a
place to sleep are important. But only
in the presence of God will we find true fulfillment and joy.
Our God cares about the full spectrum of our needs. He also understands what we need most. He understands, better than anyone, the
purpose for which he made us.
There is great comfort in knowing that God knows us even better
than we know ourselves. He loves us even
more than we love ourselves. He is with
us every step of the way. He is waiting
to welcome us home.
© George Fournier, 2014
