Bringing Together the Children of God

 Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 5th Week of Lent, April 9th, 2022
Texts: Ezekiel 37:21-28; PSALM Jeremiah 31: 10-13; John 11:45-57
We hear, today, from prophet Ezekiel the plan of God to bring together His scattered children. God promised to show them His mercy, cleansing them from their sin and making them follow His ordinances and observing His statues. He also promised to make covenant of peace with them after bringing them together. The covenant of peace is about what will make for peace between the people and God; it is about road map to peace. The road map to peace is the following of God’s ordinances and observance of His statues. When they keep the commandments of God, He will dwell among them and grant them security and peace. The covenant is everlasting because the road map provided by it is not time bound, it is timeless and ageless. This means in our own time this covenant of peace is still functioning: When we keep the commandments of God, we will be at peace with God. Is there anyone who wants to be at peace with God? Let him/her keep His commandments. God has brought us together to keep His commandments, that we may be at peace with Him and with one another.  
The prophecy of Ezekiel looked forward to Jesus Christ. It is clear in today’s gospel reading as it is said, “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.’ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” It is in Jesus Christ that God fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel. Jesus Christ had to die to fulfil the prophecy. Here we see the value of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are not only gathered, our sins are also pardoned and forgiven. 
The covenant of peace is also established in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we have the road map to peace. Hence, St. Paul says, “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it (Eph. 2: 14-16). This means we keep the covenant of peace by faithfully following Jesus Christ.  

O God, who have made all those reborn in Christ a chosen race and a royal priesthood, grant us, we pray, the grace to will and to do what you command, that the people called to eternal life may 

be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. Amen (Collect)
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke