The Monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Nos autem gloriari: ‘We should glory in nothing other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are saved and set free. May God have mercy upon us and bless us, may he make his face shine upon us and be merciful to us.’

Nos autem gloriari oportet

In cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi:

In quo est salus, vita, et resurrectio nostra:

Per quem salvati et liberati sumus.

Today’s reading is from the Book of Ezra.

Ezra 9:5-9

At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the Lord my God, and said,

‘O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. But now for a brief moment favour has been shown by the Lord our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.

The prophet Ezra is shocked by the degree to which the Jewish faith has been diluted by cultural assimilation during the exile in Babylon.

How many of the world ‘s nations claiming to be Christian treat the poor, the stranger, the earth as kindly as God would have us do? How many of these nations are truly just? How many are compassionate? Is ‘my nation first’ really a Christian attitude?

St Thomas More was martyred for his opposition to the dominant culture of his day. His last words were: “I die the King’s good servant and God’s first”. Jesus, too, was put to death as an enemy of the Empire. Where are you being called to resist the prevailing culture of your time and your place?

How does God look at your nation? In your own context, how does God want you to be salt and yeast?

Listen again and consider how Ezra’s words might be applicable today.

Ezra 9:5-9

At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the Lord my God, and said,

‘O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. But now for a brief moment favour has been shown by the Lord our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.

How is God inviting you to repair, rebuild and to create something good in the world?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be

World without end

Amen