Prophet

You would think if God is asking you to do something, how can it fail?

He said to me: Mortal, go to the house of Israel and speak my very words to them. For you are not sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to them, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. - Ezekiel 3:4-7

In today's reading, God seems to be telling Ezekiel to go speak my words to people who will not listen to you.

That sure sounds like he is doomed to fail, doesn't it?

But God sends him off anyway, wanting to give His people the chance to hear what they may refuse to hear.  God is working through him for others.

The job of a prophet is not an easy one.  People will reject him, call him names, give him grief.

Chances are Ezekiel is going to be bringing them news they don't want to hear, something bad perhaps, like a warning to change their ways.

But even if he was bringing good news, they could refuse to listen.  The Gospel is good news, and how many of us are willing to go out and share it with others?

You could argue that we are not all called to be prophets, those special people whom God calls to speak His words, but in our baptism, we receive the Spirit so we can.

Maybe we don't feel called right now, but the day may come when someone needs to hear what we have to say about our faith, and we will be ready.

It is as if God has planted a seed in each of us to be His presence when needed.

And when the time comes, we will somehow, like Ezekiel, have the guts to do it.

How cool is that?

More to come...