Keep The Temple Clean

  

 John f2: 13-22

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. ¹⁵ So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

¹⁸ The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²² After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

We  celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, "The Pope's Church.", a magnificent building dating back to the time of  the Emperor Constantine, who donated it to the Christians of Rome in 334 A.D. The pope is its pastor. 

 Our Gospel passage describes an angry Jesus, cleansing the Temple of Jerusalem of merchants and money changers whose presence was an insult to the purpose of the Temple.  It's so easy to slide into misuse of "the holy", as seen even today when tourists enter St. Peter's or St. John Lateran, of the other magnificent churches and basilicas in Rome and begin snapping photos of the statures and art work, while the Blessed Sacrament, tucked in a corner (our of reverence), is neglected.  Today, if Jesus were there in person,  he might stand at the door whipping the cameras out of the hands of the visitors and remind them (and us) that this is the house of God, keep it clean and use it for prayer. We might apply this admonition to the "temple" of our bodies:as well. Keep them clean, and rid them of misuse and misthoughts, and use them to serve God and one another..

Bro. Rene

Good and loving God, in a world full of office buildings, stores, businesses, and factories, you give us the gift of churches, sanctuaries where we can better learn to see your presence among us. Enkindle our hearts with zeal for your house! That all people may marvel at the God who chooses to have his house among us. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Ricky Bevington, C.S.C.