Dearest Goddaughter,
In today's Gospel, Jesus cleaned up his Father's house by driving out the vendors and money changers with a whip that he made out of cords. After cleaning house, he foretold of the raise of the eternal temple that is his Body.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit because, as God said to the Prophet Ezekiel (36:26-27):
"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them."
Therefore, by cleansing the temple of sinners, he is leaving us model to follow, calling us on to keep our bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit, pure from sin and evil. Jesus warns us of things that come from within us that defiles our hearts:
"He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”"
Moreover, Saint Paul reiterates Jesus' teachings in his letter to the Galatians:
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy,* drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another."
Therefore, let us pray and ask God (Psalm 51:12): "A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit."
Also, click hear to listen to this reflection/homily being delivered during Communion Service at The Conservatory on 3/3/2024: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/gospel-reflection-332024-psalm-5112/
Love,
Bỏ Phúc
P.S. These are the readings for the day: Ex 20:1-17, 1 Cor 1:22-25, and Jn 2:13-25 (below).
. . .
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.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
many began to believe in his name
when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.
.PNG)
No comments:
Post a Comment