Being Watchman In Faith

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We often struggle with living up to the Christian ideal and today’s Liturgy of the Word helps us to appreciate that  God has  given us  a church community to help each other along our faith journey.  Like Ezekiel, who was appointed to be “watchman for the House of Israel” (Ez. 3:17) we are all to be each other’s watchman in  the church, the body of Christ, ready to “sound the trumpet” and issue “the warning” (Ez. 33:5) if anyone is veering off the right path.

This duty is part of our inheritance through Baptism to be God’s prophet or spokesperson in the world.  In this role, we must be mindful that the words we speak are not our own but the words of God.   Jesus himself followed this mandate,  “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” (Jn. 12:49).  We too, must be scrupulous that we be like Jesus and our “warnings” or “alerts” reflect the truth of God and are always tempered with His assurances of forgiveness and help.  

   

Today’s commemoration of Bible Sunday is a timely reminder that to be effective and sensitive watchmen,  all of us must  be in a living friendship with Jesus, the Word of God himself.   We must  continuously learn from Jesus, the divine teacher and healer so that we can bring the story of God’s forgiveness in a truthful and personal way to our families, our faith community and to anyone seeking the truth.  

Like Ezekiel, the people we are sent to may not accord us a welcome. In today’s first reading, God sent Ezekiel to the exiled Israelites in Babylon who were still unrepentant of their sin.  To God, his chosen people had become  “rebels who have turned against me...they and their ancestors have  in revolt against me.”  (Ez.2:3-4).  Despite their betrayal, God did not abandon them.  The exile was their punishment and time of correction but Ezekiel was sent to reveal that God was still in their midst - “Whether they listen or not, this set of rebels shall know there is a prophet among them” (Ez. 2:5).

We too are sometimes “rebels” and disappoint God.  When prompted byour fellow brethren to reflect and change, we must, like St. Paul, give humble and serious consideration to our limitations and weaknesses.  To temper St. Paul’s arrogance from being gifted with insights into “the extraordinary nature” of God's revelations, St. Paul tells us that God gave him “a thorn in the flesh”.  He was not 

specific about what it was but he knew it would  stop him  “from getting too proud”.  (cf. 2 Cor 12:7).  St. Paul hears God say to him, “My grace is enough for you: my power is at its best in weakness.” (v. 9).  Being God’s watchman does not mean we take the moral highground, rather, we become effective for God only when we acknowledge our weaknesses and welcome God to form us for his use.   Recognising this mysterious contradiction, St. Paul was able to say, “So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake.  For it is when I am weak that I am strong.” (v. 9-10)

We are also reminded today that the most resistance to God’s message of hope often comes from the very people closest to us.  After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead in Capernaum, Jesus, in today’s gospel narrative returns to his hometown of Nazareth and was unable to work any miracles there.  He was “amazed at their lack of faith”. (v.6)

Every year, we are reminded on Bible Sunday of the words of St. Jerome, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ”.  As Catholics, we tend to be content with our  beautiful weekly Sunday worship and  other acts of simple piety and devotions.  On this Bible Sunday, let us welcome the ongoing challenge and call to discover anew God’s salvation in a personal and vigorous way through Scripture study and prayer.   

Let us  ask the Holy Spirit to make us faith-filled watchmen for Jesus – willing to respond in humility to being formed and being sent – no matter how unwelcoming and unresponsive the audience may be.  

From The Church Bulletin of Church of St Francis Xavier -   14th Sunday of Ordinary Time