Ezekiel is one of the Old Testament prophets. The son of a priest and a priest himself, he lived in the 6th century BC. Nebuchadnezzar, who captured Jerusalem, brought noble people and good artisans to Babylon. Ezekiel was among the captives.
There, in Babylon, the gift of prophecy was revealed to a Jewish priest. He saw the future of humanity and, in particular, the Jewish people. The voice of God commanded him to preach to the people of Israel. Ezekiel predicted that after suffering the punishment for apostasy from the true God, the Jews would break free from Babylonian captivity, return to their homeland and rebuild the Jerusalem Temple.
The Prophet was visited by two significant visions. Ezekiel saw the emergence of the Church of Christ through the exploit of the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary. The second vision was the revelation of the resurrection from the dead. Ezekiel related how the Lord took him out into a field full of dry bones. God's word caused bones to gather into skeletons, overgrow with veins and flesh, and become covered with skin. The Lord explained to the priest that these bones were the people of Israel, they dried up along with hope, and he commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to his people that he would bring him out of his grave captivity and bring him to the land of Israel. This prophecy of the resurrection of the dead is read on the morning of the Saturday of Holy Week.
Thus, the purpose of Ezekiel's ministry began to remind the Jews of those sins that caused the people to fall into a humiliating position, as well as to instill in them the belief in his reunification and future prosperity of the people. He taught the captives to get rid of their vices and repent, turning to God.
The book of Ezekiel contains seven prophecies that the Lord put into it, and she preaches the unity of the People of God. This book is referenced by a document from the Pontifical Council on Promoting Christian Unity.
Memorial Day of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel The Catholic Church celebrates July 21. On this day, baptism rites are performed for those who decided to convert to the Faith. Those who come to the Catholic Church receive absolution.
