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Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B, July 9, 2006

First reading, Ezekiel 2:2-5

The Historical Situation:Ezekiel was the first person called to become a prophet while the people were in Exile in Babylon. Others at the time were saying that the Exile was soon to end and they'd be going home to a newly prosperous Jerusalem soon. Ezekiel knew better, and resolutely predicted the further destruction of Jerusalem. It was an unpopular message, but one for which history soon vindicated him. Our passage today lacks these details. It's from early in the book, where the subject is Ezekiel's call to serve as prophet. The calling God is blunt about the resistance that his prophet will have to face.

Proclaiming It: Note the structure of the reading: Ezekiel says "I heard a voice say to me, 'I am sending you ...,'" and the rest of the passage is the words of that voice. So the prophet is getting instructions here from God. And so it's God's voice that you should "put on" for your proclamation. God is angry about the rebelliousness of the people to whom he is sending his prophet. God loves Ezekiel, who already knows how rebellious the people are. God is sharing his frustration with a trusted partner. Let that guide you in selecting tone of voice and placement of emphasis.

Second Reading, 2 Corinthians 12: 7-10

The "extraordinary revelations" that might have made Paul conceited were probably some visions he enjoyed. They gave him motivation and may have provided content for his preaching, but he didn't want to use the experience of them to puff up his authority among those to whom he preached. He needed to appear weak among them, in order to "stay out of the way" of the Spirit working among them.

Proclaiming It: Imagine the tone of voice that Paul would use if he were preaching, not writing. Think of those times when you've heard a preacher be quite candid, using his or her own experiences as material for the sermon. Paul relates experiences quite personal, that left him perplexed. Imagine the sound of him begging the Lord for relief. Imagine the different tone Paul heard in the Lord's unsympathetic reply, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Act out this drama with your own varying tones of voice.

But at the part beginning "I will rather boast ...," the tone should change. These are the words of a person looking back with understanding, who now sees the big picture of which his revelations, thorns in the flesh and unrewarding pleading with the Lord were all parts. Now he's speaking confidently and wisely about the outcome of it all. His conclusion, meant not just to describe himself but to apply to all listeners, is firm: "for when I am weak, then I am strong."

Several other commentaries on these passages. All are thoughtful, all quite readable, from the scholarly to the popular. Links may be incomplete more than a few weeks before the "due date."
Lutheran pastor and college teacher Dan Nelson's notes for a study group	2003 column of Father Francis X. Cleary, S.J.
The Text This Week; links to homilies, art works, movies and other resources on the week's scripture themes	Saint Louis University's excellent new site for liturgy Most welcome here are Reginald Fuller's commentaries.

The Lectionary selections in the frame at the left, if any, are there for your convenience. The publishers of the page in that frame have no connection, except for membership in the one Body of Christ, with the publisher of this page. Likewise the publishers of the pages on the links above.