Reader at Mass today, had looked over the OT, and the psalm, pointed the Gospel acclamation, (at least in my head...)

No "hard words." I know to beware of "prophecy" and "prophesy."

I'd always loved that passage from Ezechiel, when it came up in the Stations we did at the parish where I used to live, loved proclaiming it, ("... and I will do it.")

And I got to it, "O my people..." and I just lost it.
My voice wavered, though it didn't crack; I took long deep breaths, but didn't sob or gasp; my eyes were moist, but I didn't actually weep.

But it was noticeable, very noticeable.

When my North, my South, my East and West, my working week and my Sunday rest, my noon, my midnight, my talk, my song was actually dying, (being a bit melodramatic, aren't we?) I would occasionally luck out, and be called upon to read something that struck close to home, but never faltered, what was going on today?

Recently returned from travel to inter the remains of the relative I've always been told I was most like; daily, almost hourly updates on the status of a dying relative; the news, all the death in the news, nothing but death.... I don't know.

None of these really affect me, I'm ashamed to say - or so I would have thought.

A stranger came up after Mass, and sheepishly asked me if he could help, if there was something he could do,  (no one would ever have noticed if construction hadn't moved our altar into the nave temporarily.)

People are good.

And God is great.

Thus says the Lord God:
O my people, I will open your graves
and have you rise from them,
and bring you back to the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the Lord,
when I open your graves and have you rise from them,
O my people!
I will put my spirit in you that you may live,
and I will settle you upon your land;
thus you shall know that I am the Lord.
I have promised, and I will do it, says the Lord.

And you know what? He will.