A reading from the holy Gospel according to John 2:13-22
Since the Passover* of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,* as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”* His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them,* “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,* and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.l
REFLECTION: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
To many it was so out of character for Jesus Christ to be so angry. But was it really? The temple in the time of Jesus was the center of all, it was the place where God dwelled. Jesus saw how the temple area had become a place of trade rather than a place of prayer. The temple was desecrated by oxen, sheep, doves, money and money exchanging. There was no time for praising God. Yes, then Jesus indeed should have been angry--very angry.
We are meant to be living temples of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sees filth, sin, and desecration of our bodies in defiance of the Ten Commandments, he too will react. But he does not whip us, nor hurt us. But lovingly he goes after us. He opened the gates of heaven for us at the Resurrection. His desire is to have us be temples of the living God. With his love and enlightenment, our minds and hearts can be purified so that we may offer the proper worship and enjoy the presence of God. Jesus wants us to have "zeal for the house of God. "
PRAYER: Dearest Lord, it is with profound faith and trust that I seek you and pray that you will protect me and save me from all my faults. I surrender to you and pay homage to you for you are my God who has protected me . If only I could love you as much as you love me. AMEN
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