Reflections on Ezechiel 1: 2-5;24-28 from Father Tom

Last Monday, the first reading was from Ezechiel 1: 2-5;24-28.

This reading set me thinking of the grandeur and majesty of our God. Other prophets also had similar visions (Isaiah, Daniel, John the apostle) of the greatness of God. This is often called by the term: theophany, revelation of God as was the Transfiguration on Mt Thabor. Recall the bone-chilling way the Lord appeared on Sinai. Why does God do this? For my part, I think He does that to make us realize his total "otherness". He is so unlike us. When we talk of God being almighty, infinite, all holy, all light, all pure, all majesty, etc, they are abstract ideas that we have made to make us understand his total greatness, quite apart from us. This theophany makes us realize our smallness, limitedness, nothingness, our creatureliness. When we confront this greatness of God, we should naturally feel so small and puny and microscopic. This greatness alone should make us realize our constant need to be humble before this majesty. When we look at the Infant Jesus in the crib of Bethlehem, we realize how immensity was made small for our sakes. He took on our humble human nature to adapt his greatness to our size. He reduced himself even further in the Holy Eucharist to become a piece of Bread and a few drops of Wine to be our food and drink! This is mind boggling, mind blowing! In the presence of this great humility of God, our pride is simply madness, atrocious and incredible! God being humble! That is it. Of Moses it was said that he was the humblest of all men. Jesus became humble even to the point of self emptying. No wonder that the Lord hates the proud and exalts the humble. tom