August 23, 2004. Friday of the 20th week in ordinary time.

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

The hand of the Lord came upon me and led me out in the spirit of the Lord

and set me in the center of the plain, which was now filled with bones.

He made me walk among the bones in every direction so that I saw how many there were on the surface of the plain, how dry they were.

He asked me, Son of man, can these bones come to life? I answered, Lord God, you alone know that. Then he said to me,

prophesy over these bones and say to them, dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the

Lord God to these bones. See, I will bring spirit into you that you may come to life. I will put sinews upon you,

make flesh grow over you, cover your skin, and put spirit in you so that you may come to life

and know that I am the Lord. I prophesied, as I had been told. And even as I was prophesying, I heard a noise. It was a rattling

as the bones came together, bone-joining bone. I saw the sinews and the flesh come upon them,

and the skin cover them, but there was no spirit in them. Then the Lord said to me, prophesy to the spirit,

prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, thus says the Lord God, from the four winds come,

O spirit, and breathe into these slain that they may come to life. I prophesied as he told me, and the spirit came into them.

They came alive and stood upright, a vast army. Then he said to me, son of man, these bones are the

whole house of Israel. They have been saying, our bones are dried up. Our hope is lost, and we are cut off.

Therefore, prophesy and say to them, 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. The word of the Lord. The response. The response is, give thanks to the Lord,

His love is everlasting. Let the redeemed of the Lord say,

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