Ezekiel 37:21-28
21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land;
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.
23 They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
24 “My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes.
25 They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there for ever; and David my servant shall be their prince for ever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them for evermore.”
John 11:45-56
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.”
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; 50 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.”
51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death. 54 Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”
MEDITATION
THE PROPHET EZEKIEL brings a message of hope to the people who for too long have been separated and divided from one another. One nation,one king with one Kingdom is in the offing. No more false idols. The backsliders will turn their lives around and will be forgiven. A new covenant of peace is foreseen where God’s sanctuary will be situated and be made present amongst the people that will be a source of sanctification for the people.
Ezekiel’s prophecy points to the establishment of a new covenant, a perfection of the old covenant that is ordered to rejuvenate,transform,pardon and make holy God’s people. The Son of God endeavors to make holy His people by means of a sacramental system that shall draw man to God and God to man.
THE GOSPEL reading transitioned to the aftermath of a miraculous event that saw the raising up of Lazarus. Mary, his sister accompanied a crowd of believers who were witnesses to this stupendous event to relay the facts that indisputably confirm Jesus is the Messiah! The testimony of these believers is so overwhelming, that a paralysis of fear descended upon the Pharisaical hierarchy who saw that a catastrophe is in the offing that will see the destruction of the temple and the Hebrew people by the Roman authority!
Caiaphas, the high priest appears to ‘ignorantly’ object that Jesus should not be put to death to save the nation! St John wished to highlight that Caiaphas unwittingly delivered a prophecy that saw the council agree that Jesus should die to save the nation. The context of this decision highlights the leverage that the Roman authority had over the Hebrew leadership. Their insipidus sense of reasoning instilled fear to the extent that they opted to reject the covenant promises of God for the sake of maintaining their friendship with the evil Roman authority!
On a daily basis we are confronted with decisions and choices of import that could result in good or evil because we don’t know what we do not know! During these moments of confusion when the lust for power and position is presented, do not plead ignorance but invite the Holy Spirit to illuminate our minds to do what is pleasing to God, rather than what is pleasing to man and causing us to backslide!
LET US PRAY: Jeremiah 31:10-13
10 “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ 11 For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. 13 Then shall the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
Catholic Witness Apostolate catholicwitnessct@gmail.com Henry R SYLVESTER
Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days of saints around the world
Morning Coffee Meditations. 
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