Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin (Optional Memorial)

I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. 

Ezekiel spoke his famous “dry bones” prophecy during a time when the people of Israel were living in exile in Babylon. The Temple had been destroyed, the city of Jerusalem had been razed, and most of the population had been removed. The people felt that their best days were behind them. But Ezekiel prophesied hope and expectation. Through him, God promised to bring his people back to life—and back to their homeland (Ezekiel 37:12, 14).

Do you ever feel as if you are living in exile? Though we are part of a worldwide Church, we can often feel as if our Christian values set us apart from the prevailing philosophies of the world. Like some of the Israelites during the exile, we may even be tempted to let the sinful aspects of the world influence how we think and act. Resisting temptation, as well as coping with the ordinary demands of life, can suck the life out of us. Over time, we can begin to feel just like those dry bones.

But that’s not what God wants for us! Through Baptism, he has brought us to new life. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, and the Spirit can renew and restore us. We just have to keep asking him for living water! In fact, we can ask for an outpouring of the Spirit every morning in prayer, even before we face the possibility that something or someone will drain us. Then, when we face challenges, we can draw on the reservoir of his grace and receive renewed hope and determination.

You have been filled with God’s life. That means that you can be a source of life and hope to those around you—especially to those who don’t know Christ. That has been God’s plan all along—that as we come alive in Christ, we reveal him to others and invite them into his kingdom. God infused the “dry bones” of the Israelites with new life and brought them home. So, too, God wants to infuse his life into his people and lead them out of exile and into a kingdom that has no end!

“Come, Spirit of God, and bring me to life!”

Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 107:2-9
Matthew 22:34-40