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God’s House Is Holy

U. S. A. | SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

November 20, 2015. Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

By Father John Doyle, LC

Luke 19:45-48

Then Jesus entered the Temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, ´My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.´" And every day he was teaching in the Temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words.

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega. You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve my honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I have is yours; I return it to you.

Petition: Lord God, teach me greater reverence for your house.

Zeal for the Father’s House: Jesus was not an enemy of commerce. In fact, many times the Gospel makes references to buying and selling without any negative connotations at all. However, in today’s Gospel passage we find Our Lord irate for two principal reasons. First, business activity was taking place within the Temple area. This was, in a sense, a “profanation” of God’s house. The Temple of Jerusalem contained, veiled behind a massive curtain, the Holy of Holies, where God’s mysterious presence dwelled. Yet, paradoxically, Temple worshipers had first to cross what had the appearance of a marketplace to be able to worship before the Lord. Second, Jesus was indignant due to the fact that the temple merchants were dishonest. Am I always honest in my business dealings? Do I always respect God’s name and the things of God?

Return to Reverence: Jesus was on fire with zeal for the house of his Father and determined that it be respected as a house of prayer. Silence, worship and prayer are elements that should be an essential part of every visit to a church, especially for Sunday Mass. In the tabernacle of every Catholic Church, Our Lord is present in the Eucharist as a prisoner of love waiting to enter into dialogue with us. We are never closer to heaven than when we are before Our Eucharistic Lord. Yet we can forget this truth. Our postures, chatter, and dress might contribute to a general “profanation” of God’s house. Do I try to remember every time I enter a church that I am standing before my Lord who made heaven and earth? Can others see that I believe Jesus is really present in the Eucharist? Is he the center of my attention? Can I put aside all distractions?

Hanging on Jesus’ Words: The crowds are described as “hanging” on Jesus’ every word. Jesus showed a reverence for his Father’s house far greater than any external piety the Pharisees demonstrated. He spoke the truth and was never afraid to stand up for it, even when it was less than convenient to do so. He was unafraid of those who “were seeking to put him to death.” Jesus’ uprightness was the key to his effectiveness and the attractive power of his words. As Christians we are called by vocation to imitate the uprightness of Our Lord in our words and actions.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, many times I have entered Church distractedly and forgotten that you were present. I beg your forgiveness. I ask to be a zealous witness of your love, and I promise to show you greater reverence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Resolution: I will live the Mass this Sunday with a special reverence.

Homily of the Day

November 20, 2015

In the first reading, Judas Maccabeus, after defeating the enemies of Israel, finds the Temple of Jerusalem in total ruin. So he orders his men to rebuild the temple and replaces all the sacred vessels, lampstand, altar, and other furnishings. After doing so, they joyfully re-dedicate the temple: “they consecrated it with songs accompanied by zithers, harps and cymbals. All the people fell prostrate and blessed Heaven that had given them happiness and success” (1 Mac 4: 54b â€“ 55)

The Gospel reading is about Jesus cleansing the Temple area, “Then Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And he said to them, ‘God says in the Scriptures: My house shall be a house of prayer: but you have turned it into a den of robbers.’ ”

The cleansing of the Temple area occurs late in the ministry of Jesus he Gospel of Luke, after the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In the Gospel of John the cleansing of the Temple is given early in his public ministry, after the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. In John’s account, Jesus also predicts his death and resurrection: “‘Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up’. . . . Jesus was referring to the temple of his body. Only when he had risen from the dead did his disciples remember these words.” (Jn 3:19â€“22a)

Both readings speak of respect for the temple as the house of God and the sign of God’s presence to his people. The temple of Jerusalem also housed the Tablets of the Law, the sign of God’s Covenant with Israel.

We value God’s presence to us in our churches and places of worship. We value God’s presence in us by his grace whereby we become temples of the Holy Spirit.

We especially thank God for his loving presence an memorial in all our churches in the Blessed Sacrament, the wonderful reminder and guarantee of our redemption, “When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.”

We thank God for his presence in the least of our brethren, “Whenever you did this to these little ones who are my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” (Mt 25: 40)