Our dear children, good morning! Today, July 23rd, our Church celebrates a great Saint of the Old Testament, Prophet Ezekiel.
Do you know what his name means? "God is Mighty!" And indeed, Ezekiel was a person who knew God's power very well and spoke to us about it.
Who was Ezekiel?
Ezekiel was a priest, which means he was a person who served God in the Temple. He lived a very long time ago, before Jesus came to Earth, during a time when God's people, the Israelites, had made many mistakes and had forgotten God.
Then, a very powerful king, Nebuchadnezzar, captured their city, Jerusalem, and took many of the Israelites as captives to his city, Babylon. Ezekiel was among them.
Prophet Ezekiel's Great Vision!
There, in exile, Ezekiel married, and his house became a place where other exiled Israelites gathered to hear God's words.
One day, Ezekiel saw an amazing vision! The heavens opened, and he saw the glory of God coming on a magnificent chariot. This chariot was pulled by four strange creatures, like winged angels, called Cherubim. Each Cherub had four faces: a lion's, an eagle's, a calf's, and a human's! These faces, it is said, remind us of the four Evangelists who wrote about the life of Jesus!
Above the chariot, there was a crystal dome, and on the dome, a shining throne. And on the throne... sat Someone who looked like a human, full of light, like a rainbow! Ezekiel fell with his face to the ground in awe.
The Sweet Book!
Then, God spoke to Ezekiel and told him to get up and go to the Israelites who had forgotten God. A hand gave him a scroll-book full of lamentations (meaning sad words) and woes. God told him: "Take this book and eat it!" And when Ezekiel put it in his mouth, it was sweet like honey! This meant that, even God's difficult words, when you hear them and understand them, become sweet to your soul.
The Watchman of the People
After this vision, Ezekiel couldn't speak for 7 days! Then, God told him: "My child, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. So listen to the words that come from my mouth and tell them to them." Ezekiel had a very great responsibility: to watch over God's people and tell them what God wanted, for 22 whole years!
Messages Through Actions!
Ezekiel didn't just speak. He showed God's messages through symbolic actions too!
He took a clay tablet and drew Jerusalem on it, showing that the city would be besieged.
He lay on one side for 390 days and then on the other for 40 days, eating a little bread, to show how difficult the people would suffer in exile.
He shaved his head and beard, burned a part of his hair, cut another with a sword, and scattered the rest to the wind. He kept only a small amount in the hem of his garment. This showed that only a small part of the people would survive the destruction.
God's Glory Leaves and Returns
Ezekiel saw God's wrath for the sins of the people. He saw God's glory leaving the Temple of Jerusalem because the people had brought idols into it. This was very sad!
Later, Ezekiel saw in a vision a new Temple, and the glory of God returning from the East, filling the Temple with light and brilliance! This showed that God would return to His people when they repented.
The Valley of Dry Bones
One of his most famous visions is the one with the valley of dry bones. God took him to a plain full of dry bones. He asked him: "Can these bones live?" Ezekiel said: "You know, Lord!" Then God commanded him to prophesy to the bones.
As soon as Ezekiel spoke, noises began to be heard, the bones joined together, acquired sinews, flesh, and skin. But they still had no breath! God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the Spirit. And when the Spirit entered them, the bodies came to life and stood up, like a huge army!
This vision showed two things:
That God would bring the people of Israel back from exile to their land, even if they felt like "dry bones" without hope.
It also prophesied the great Resurrection of the dead that will happen one day, when all people will come back to life!
The End of the Prophet
It is said that Prophet Ezekiel punished some people from a tribe called Gad because they behaved badly, by sending snakes among them. He also told them that they would not return to their homeland if they did not stop their sins. Because these people could not bear to hear his accusations, it is said that they stoned him to death.
How do we remember him?
Prophet Ezekiel was a man who spoke with words and with actions, to awaken people's consciences. He taught us that God is holy and just, but also that He is full of love and mercy, and always gives a second chance to those who repent.
Our Church honors the memory of Prophet Ezekiel today, July 23rd. May Saint Ezekiel be our help!
Have a good and blessed day!
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