Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezekiel
34:1-11; Matthew 20:1-16)
A veteran
priest told the story of his uncle who thought it was a good idea that he enter
the seminary. The uncle explained that
as a priest the youth would receive three square meals a day and only have to
work on weekends. Most priests work much
harder than that, but a few are lazy. To
chastise self-serving pastors Ezekiel utters a strong prophecy in today’s first
reading.
Ezekiel
does not have only priests in mind but political as well as other religious
leaders. He criticizes them for not
directing the people to God but using their office to profit themselves. As a result of pastoral negligence, the
people have forsaken the Lord. They turn
to false gods -- whether pagan deities or created pleasures – for solace. Of course, God cannot tolerate such
malpractice.
Each of us should
see herself or himself as a shepherd.
Few of us are priests with parishioners, but many are parents with
children to guide. Others may be workers
with responsibility for those under their care.
All of us are members of the community of faith with at least some responsibility
to show our friends the ways of God. We must
take care of one another so that we all reach our destiny of eternal life.
