Thursday of the
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezekiel 36:23-28; Matthew 22:1-14)
Fr. Stanley Rother, an American missionary to Guatemala, was
assasinated in 1981. Two years ago, Pope
Francis declared that Fr. Rother was killed in
odium fidei (in hatred of the faith); that is, as a martyr which qualifies for
him the title of “Blessed.” His story portrays atypical heroism and also a typical
devotion on the part of the native peoples of Guatemala.
Fr. Rother refused to leave the indigenous people of his
village despite persistent death threats.
Eventually soldiers carried out the crime. When Fr. Rother’s family came to take Fr.
Rother’s body for burial in Oklahoma, the people resisted. They claimed that he had been their priest
and their protector. Finally, the two
sides compromised. All of Fr. Rother’s
body except his heart was returned to the United States
The reading from Ezekiel today promises that everyone’s
heart will be purified like Fr. Rother’s.
Ezekiel says that God will replace the stony hearts of the people with
tender hearts. Then they will be able to
give fitting homage to God and show loving care to one another. He adds that this will be done by gathering the
people in a new land and sprinkling them with clean water.
Ezekiel’s prophecy has been fulfilled in our time. Jesus has renewed our hearts in Baptism (the
sprinkling) which brings us into his Church (the new land). Regrettably, however, some fail to follow him
choosing instead self-gratification. We
can pray for them while we give thanks for our renewal in love.
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