CALLS: 

CALLED  BY  GOD - 

THREE  PEOPLE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is “Calls: Called by God - Three People.”

I wasn’t sure what to preach on, so I decided to go with today’s first reading from Ezekiel - where he receives a call from God.

CALLS

Let me begin by pointing out that we are very aware that people are getting calls all the time.

We see people everywhere with cellphone in hand - or next to their ears.

People must be calling each other all the time - every chance they get.

Just grab a bench in the mall or look out the window when you drive up Main Street - and you’ll see a dozen people on their phones.

Then there are inner calls. We are getting calls from somewhere in our brain every day. I call them, “Gottas”.

• I gotta empty the dishwasher.
• I gotta call Charlie.
• I gotta pick up some catsup at the supermarket.
• I gotta clean the trunk of my car.
• I gotta remind him to pick up the tickets.

The title of my homily is, “Calls: Called by God - Three People.”

We know we have daily calls and daily demands. In this homily I’m going to lead into calls from God - being aware of them - having pointed out we know about local calls from each other.

I want to state that it’s a good idea to talk to each other or look at others about the calls of life.

Others: you can talk to family members or friends about what their experience is with the calls and demands of life - and how they think, feel, respond to them.

In this homily, let me pick three people who received calls: Ezekiel, Dominic, the Saint of the day, and then finish by talking about ourselves.

FIRST PERSON:  EZEKIEL

Today and for the next two weeks, the first reading for daily Mass is from Ezekiel. That’s a possible 12 readings - but for the feast of the Assumption I’m sure will have a different first reading.

Ezekiel lived around 590 BC.

He is the 3^rd of the three major prophets in the Old Testament: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

The Book of Ezekiel is sizable: 48 chapters.

It has some good stuff for prayer and reflection. 

Read or browse through the book - or the readings we’ll hear in church these two weeks.

Notice how today’s first reading from Ezekiel 1: 2-5, 24-28, begins with the call message: “the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel….”

There it is: the call.

Then as you listen to Ezekiel ponder his messages.

In Chapter 3 Ezekiel is called to eat the scrolls. I love that image - so that the words might become flesh. What a great calling: to eat the word, to digest the words, let the words become us.  Be nourished by the word of God. Be in communion with the word.

In Chapter 16 we have the powerful image as a young girl who is dumped into an open field, unloved, exposed and God sees her struggling - picks her up - cleans her - raises her - dresses her in beautiful clothes and then after all that she prostitutes herself.

The obvious message - the obvious call - is that we do not follow that same path.

We’re all familiar with Ezekiel’s vision of Israel as a field of dead bones. It’s in Chapter 37. He calls out to the dead - to rise - to come back to life.

Some think he might have been a deaf mute - because of his odd way of preaching at times. He uses gives great pictures - images - visions - props -to announce to Israel God’s calls.

SECOND PERSON: DOMINIC

The second person that I’d like to mention who heard God’s call is Dominic - Saint Dominic - whose feast day is today. His dates were 1170-1221.

He had plans on being a contemplative type priest - but everything changed when he traveled from Spain with a bishop who went to Southern France and he discovered people who were into the Albigensian heresy.

He realized he had to do something about all this - so be began preaching - realizing that was needed - but even more - example. If preachers were fat cats and the Albigensian spiritual leaders were very penitential, example wins out every time over words.

There’s a message there.

THIRD PERSON: ME, MYSELF AND I

Each day we hear calls from God to make this a better world.

The most basic call is the Great Commandment: "Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is this: You must love your neighbor as yourself". [Cf. Mark 12: 28-34.]

If we want more: Jesus calls us to give up stuff - simplify - and follow him.

Sometimes we have to speak up - but for starters - example is much more powerful than words.

As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

So too good example as Dominic found out. So too Ezekiel. Show people examples.

I think that’s enough with the words.