Feast of St. Pius X

I was baptised, a modern Catholic after Vatican II. I have never attended any Mass in Latin. Therefore, I may not appreciate how enormous an impact these new changes have introduced into the life of the Catholic Church. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Pius X (1835-1914), a Pope in the early twentieth century. He was canonized 40 years after his death in 1954. Most of the popes of the first 500 years were saints because they were martyrs. Since 1000 AD, there are only 5 canonized popes: Leo IX, Gregory VII, Celestine V, Pius V and Pius X. It is not easy for popes to lead a saintly life since most of them, wanted it or not, are inevitably involved in European and in this latter days, global politics. After all, the Catholic Church is a power which most national leaders ignore at their perils. May God grant our Pope wisdom to steer through the tangles of global politics.
In reading Ezekiel 35 today, I felt funny to find Ezekiel cursing Mount Seir at the command of God. Why should a prophet prophesize against a mountain? How could a mountain offend God to deserve cursing? Ezekiel gave the following reason.
Because you cherished perpetual enmity, and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment (Ezekiel 35:5)
The answer only comes to light in the last verse. Mount Seir is another way to refer to Edom.
As you rejoiced over the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so I will deal with you; you shall be desolate, Mount Seir, and all Edom, all of it. Then they will know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 35:15).
Immediately, Ezekiel blessed the mountains of Israel. Since Israel had suffered in the hands of the other nations, God would compensate them for their sufferings.
therefore thus says the Lord GOD: I swear that the nations that are round about you shall themselves suffer reproach.
But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people Israel; for they will soon come home (Ezekiel 36:7-8).
Did God love Israel? Did God have pity on these descendants of Abraham? Well, not quite!
Israel rebelled against God. So, God made use of Assyria and Babylon to chasten them.
I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them.
But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they had to go out of his land.'
But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel caused to be profaned among the nations to which they came.
Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came (Ezekiel 36:19-22).
God delivered Israel. He raised the Persian king, Cyrus to conquer Babylon and release the exiles home. Yet, God's motive seemed rather selfish. He did it not because He had pity on Israel but to keep His holy name untarnished! Most moralists would frown on God's motive. If I do good things for the sake of keeping my reputation, I am not a virtuous person. Shouldn't God be doing similar or even better things to set up a model for us to imitate? May be God is God. He is above and beyond human morality so that we may not judge Him according to human criteria. He saves and kills, inflicts injuries and heals. We are supposed to be pious and awestricken rather than judgmental.
For the sake of His holy name, God showers us with lavish gifts. He will forgive all our sins (Ezekiel 36:25), transplant in us a new heart of flesh, to be charitable (Ezekiel 36:26), give us the Holy Spirit to help us observe the law (Ezekiel 36:27), restore our inheritance (Ezekiel 36:28) and free from famine (Ezekiel 36:29-30). Well, what more can you ask from God?
In Ezekiel, "they/you will know that I am the Lord" appears 60 verses. It appears in only 16 other verses in the rest of the books in the Old Testament. Ezekiel stresses a lot that God does so many things because He wants all of us to know that He is Yahweh. Ezekiel was very anxious/desperate/eager to tell the exiles in Babylon that God was still with them. Therefore, theologians who claim that God is elusive are not completely right.

My dear Advocate, now I know that You are eager to reveal Your mercy to us. We have not been receptive enough on our part. Please remove our hearts of stone. Be our God and we be Your people.  May we glorify, instead of profaning Your name before people who don't know You. Amen.