Reading 1
Ez 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32
The word of the LORD came to me:
Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb
that you recite in the land of Israel:
“Fathers have eaten green grapes,
thus their children’s teeth are on edge”?
As I live, says the Lord GOD:
I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you
who will repeat this proverb in Israel.
For all lives are mine;
the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine;
only the one who sins shall die.
If a man is virtuous—if he does what is right and just,
if he does not eat on the mountains,
nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel;
if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife,
nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period;
if he oppresses no one,
gives back the pledge received for a debt,
commits no robbery;
if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked;
if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury;
if he holds off from evildoing,
judges fairly between a man and his opponent;
if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances,
that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer,
or lends at interest and exacts usury–
this son certainly shall not live.
Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die;
his death shall be his own fault.
Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel,
each one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD.
Turn and be converted from all your crimes,
that they may be no cause of guilt for you.
Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed,
and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.
Why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,
says the Lord GOD. Return and live!
Gospel
Mt 19:13-15
Children were brought to Jesus
that he might lay his hands on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said,
“Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them;
for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After he placed his hands on them, he went away.
Meditation: Ezekiel 18:1-10,13, 30–32
“Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge.” (Ezekiel 18:2)
What a strange proverb! To the Israelites, however, its meaning was clear enough: A person could suffer the punishment for the sins of his parents and ancestors. But the problem is that when something went wrong, such a belief allowed some to point the finger of blame at their forefathers, not themselves.
This isn’t how God works. Through Ezekiel, God made it clear that each person is responsible for the consequences of his or her own actions. And this is both good news and bad news. The bad news is that we can’t blame our ancestors; we have to own up to our own failings. But the good news is that none of us will be condemned for our parents’ or grandparents’ sins or failings.
But Jesus has even better news than this: We don’t even have to be condemned for our own past sins! The past doesn’t have to control our future. We don’t have to be trapped in a never-ending cycle of sin. God is always with us, always offering us the chance to turn to him and be forgiven. He is always offering us his grace to resist temptations that we have fallen to in the past. What’s more, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which contains God’s own grace to give us the new heart and the new spirit that Ezekiel prophesied about (Ezekiel 18:31).
Isn’t it comforting to know that repentance is not meant to be a one-time event? Isn’t it wonderful to know that we can deepen our conversion every day through repentance? The Hebrew phrase that we translate as the call to “turn and be converted” (Ezekiel 18:30) comes from the word shuv, which means “to turn around” and to “repent.” It is an active verb, implying that this is something each of us must do on our own, taking responsibility for our actions and not blaming someone else or just waiting for things to turn around by themselves.
It can be challenging to face up to our sins. But the relief, freedom, and joy we experience in repentance can far outweigh our discomfort. God offers us a new beginning every day. So let’s take him up on his offer!
“Lord, your steadfast love is new every morning. Guide my steps today, so that I can turn from sin and turn toward you.”
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