I haven't written about my mum for one week. Last Saturday, after spending six days in Chai Wan, I left unhappily. Everyday, before mum drank, we could talk sensibly. When alcohol reached her stomach, literally, all hell broke loose. Mum would make use of the alcohol to vent her anger and frustration towards people around. I experienced firsthand how difficult daily life is for my father and my younger brother. They probably have developed their ways to cope with her. I have not. Half of my genes came from her. Whatever she is doing or failing to do, I will be doing the same when I reach her age. If she cannot kick her addiction, neither will I be able to in my future. Family members around me will suffer like my father and my younger brother. The prospect is bad! Therefore, during dinner, I lost my composure and traded a few yells with her. I started shaking. I knew what would happen. It was the second time since my DM. I put down the chopsticks, did not say anything, took long, deep breathes to allow myself to calm down. Aware of what she had done to me, Mum restrained herself. I finished my meal, leaving my glass of red wine undrunk. Mum ordered my younger brother to accompany me home. For the next couple of days when mum called, I was not able to bring myself to speak intimately with her anymore.
When she called today, she was not drunk. She broke the news that back in mainland China, the younger brother of my father suffered a stroke and was hospitalized due to his chronic alcoholism. She decided not to drink anymore. My younger brother has warned her of the dangers of alcoholism many times before. His words have fallen onto deaf ears. Now, this man, who had given her some hard times when she first married my father, has fallen. She would not like to follow his path. What has happened to my uncle is more persuasive than our continuous pleas. Don't make me wrong. I can imagine how my father feels when his younger brother suffers a stroke. Surely he would feel sorry for him and his family. But this time, if mum can really emerge from her addiction because of this, I sincerely thank God and Our Lady for granting her such graces. Somehow, God is able to bring forth goodness out of evil. This is His mysterious way of working which is beyond our understanding. Of course, I pray for the health of my uncle as well, though it came as a second thought. (I am too bad a Catholic!)
Today, we wrap up with our reading of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 37 is the famous vision of the valley of dry bones. God determined not to give up His Chosen People. To sustain them in the future, God would give them His Spirit.
And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD (Ezekiel 37:13-14).
Moreover, their kingdom will not be a divided one anymore.
then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land;
and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms (Ezekiel 37:21-22).
If the Church is the new Israel, the new Chosen People, we have more divisions today than simply Israel and Judah. We have failed Ezekiel's prophecy! Then, are we still qualified to be the new Israel?
Ezekiel 38-39 are oracles against Gog. When Israel were dwelling securely, Gog attacked them. This action angered God (Ezekiel 38:14-18). God killed so many people of Gog that the house of Israel needed to take seven months to bury the dead (Ezekiel 39:12)! What a massacre!
Then we come to the part Ezekiel himself most interested in --- the measurements of the new Temple. He spent chapters 40-42 to describe it in great details. The new Temple was dear to his heart because Ezekiel had been a priest before he came into exile.
and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel for ever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their harlotry, and by the dead bodies of their kings." (Ezekiel 43:7)
The Temple was the throne of Yahweh. That is understandable. But why were the dead bodies of their kings so offensive, as offensive as idolatry? What had they done to the corpses of the kings? Worship their mummy?
Then for the rest of the chapter, Ezekiel continues to talk about the cleansing and the consecration of the new Temple.
My dear Advocate, You work with the bigger picture which is beyond our understanding. We are in no position to offer suggestions or strike a bargain with You. It seems to me that the only option we have is to trust in You and to love You. Strengthen our faith. Enkindle our passion. Amen.
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