First Reading - Ezekiel 37:21-28
Gospel - John 11:45-56
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel reminds us of the promise of a new covenant. This promise, proposed by Ezekiel in the darkest days of the Babylonian exile, includes four elements:
1 The LORD will bring together again the two kingdoms, split after the death of Solomon, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
2. They shall be cleansed from all their wickedness and their failure to faithfully follow the LORD.
3. The LORD’s servant David will reign over them for ever. By this Christians understand the Lord Jesus, the descendant of David, whose Kingdom will never end.
4. The LORD, the sanctifier of Israel, will remain with them for ever.
Perhaps nowhere else are the benefits of the new covenant so clearly outlined. This covenant will one day be expressed at the Last Supper and sealed by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
In the gospel, God used Caiaphas to prophesy the redemptive death of Jesus for the whole world when he said: “It is expedient for you that One Man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” Here, Caiaphas’ words have two meanings: 1) Caiaphas meant he wanted to put Christ to death on the pretext that that would ensure the political peace and survival of Israel. 2) The Holy Spirit meant that the new Israel, the Kingdom of God, the Church, would be founded through the death of Christ on the Cross, and that His death would save not only Israel but “all the children of God who are scattered abroad.” The prophets had already announced that the future assembly of Israelites faithful to God would form the new people of Israel. These prophecies were fulfilled by the death of Christ, Who, when raised up on the cross, drew and gathered together the true people of God, composed of all believers, whether Israelites or not.
Dear friends, Jesus has woven the humanity into a single kingdom by his paschal mystery. The prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel for the mourning exiles was the promise of a new kingdom and a renewed life under the kingship of the Lord. This promise of the prophet comes to be realised by Jesus which Caiaphas, the high priest, puts it in a prophetic sense. Therefore, the readings are the remainder for us to understand the communitarian aspect of our faith in Jesus, our King and Master. It's through Jesus all believers are brought together as one family where Jesus himself is the head. Hence, any attempt to cause disunity or disharmony in the Church is against our faith and belief.
The readings also celebrate the communion of faith of the Church. However, this communion of faith in the Church is for a noble cause; salvation of humanity. Caiaphas prophesies that it's expedient that one must die to save all others. This signifies that the death of Jesus was for the sake of the salvation of humanity. Therefore, the community of believers are the channel of bringing all others to this communion so that all may receive the gift of salvation in Jesus. It's for this sake, the Church is said to be 'missionary by nature.'
Let's pray that we may always preserve the unity of Church.
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