Ezekiel 24:15-18
Also the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep nor shall your tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of mourners.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
Homily:
When I read the above passage, I shudder. There are some parts of the story of prophets that no one really remembers. Sadly, those parts are the great sacrifices. The depths they have to go to rise so high.
We remember them for their closeness to God, the accuracy of their prophecies and the clarity of their understanding. But in most cases, they are either being prepared for a great sacrifice or being healed from one.
The same is true for all greatness. Be careful what you wish for.