As we encounter the Word of God today, we read from the Book of Ezra. The twin books of Ezra and Nehemiah pick up the story of the Israelites after the Babylonian Captivity. They were released from their captivity by Cyrus, King of Persia who had defeated the Assyrians in battle.
The period of Jewish history which is chronicled in the Books of Ezra and Nehemia is known as the "Restoration." It was the fond hope of the people of Israel that they would be able to put their lives together by restoring the Temple and its liturgy, by renewing their commitment to the Sinai Covenant, and by once again occupying Canaan. However, this was not ultimately God's plan. Though many did return to Israel, many others chose to stay in Assyria. They had grown used to the regularity of their captors. They did not relish a journey through the desert which would ultimately lead to a great deal of hard work. Many chose not to return which in turn grieved the hearts and minds of those who did return. Consequently, Israel never did return to its former glory after the Exile.
The story is all too human. Though we regard work as part of our human dignity, though we preach on the dignity of the work and his job, the fact of the matter is that all too often we would rather avoid work. Israel never regained its renown in the world. The temple was rebuilt, but never regained the beauty for which it was renowned by St. Peter. Through Nehemiah and Ezra, the people once again embraced the Torah. However, for others, avoiding work seems to be a pastime. Human nature also proved weak when it came to keeping the resolve to maintain that covenant relationship. By the time Jesus appears, all that was left of Israel's glory was but a remnant provided by the faithful few.
God has promised us great things. However, if we simply sit back in our loungers and in our recliners and hope that when we rise, the world will have improved. God will bring the promises made on Sinai heights to pass when we act rather than react, when we move forward rather than retreat. The same can be said of the new covenant made through Jesus. We have been commissioned to bring the whole world to Jesus. As the old joke goes, God can't help us win the lottery unless we actually buy a ticket.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator