Father Michael Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 (edited) March 3rd, 2024 Third Sunday of Lent Jesus drives out the money-changers from the Temple. Message from Father †Michael Today’s Theme: “Laws and Worship” Reflections on Today’s Scripture (Exodus 20:1-7) The Ten Commandments were given as a map for those with a special relationship with God. This, first version, along with the second (Deuteronomy 5:6-21,) was to be seen as a “gift,” not a burden. It is said that if everyone lived according to the Decalogue, no other laws or law enforcement would be necessary! Legislation does not create values but only upholds those that already exist…. ~~~ (1 Corinthians 1:22-25) †Paul preached a crucified Christ, which made no sense, to non-believers. To the faithful, it was a sign of the wisdom and power of God. Those who would become disciples must be ready to risk foolishness and absurdity in order to be one with Jesus. ~~~ (John 2:13-25) Driving the money-changers and sellers of sacrificial animals from the Temple was a forceful act of righteousness, that showed Jesus passing judgment on the Jewish system of worship—a protest against the commercialization of religion, and desecration of the house of worship. It was also meant to replace sacrificial worship with spiritual worship—as we do, today, in the Holy Mass—and was symbolic, in the fashion of Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 7:11; Malachi 3:1,) Jesus called His followers to move beyond legality, to love; and forsake empty ritual. ~~~ An Angry Jesus It sometimes amazes us how enraged people become when their own interests are threatened, however marginally! In contrast, how few of us are incensed when their neighbor’s interests are threatened…. Jesus didn’t get angry on His own account. It resulted from His love of God AND of His neighbor! Though His action has been seen as a protest against the commercialization of religion and desecration of the Temple, it went much further. (It should be noted that Jesus did not destroy anything in His protest. He herded the cattle and oxen away—that could later be caught again by their owners. He didn’t release the doves, that might become prey, but only overturned the seat/table upon which they were displayed. The money was scattered too, but it was able to be easily recovered.) Through His actions, He protested that Israel had failed to fulfil her universal mission to mankind. The Temple was meant to be a house of prayer “for all nations.” However, it remained the jealously-guarded preserve of Israel. Jesus was doing away with the notion of “exclusiveness.” Salvation was not just for the Jews, but for all people. Secondly, Jesus was attacking the very nature of Jewish worship, with its ritual and animal sacrifices. He deemed it “irrelevant,” insofar as it did nothing to bring people to God. Worship demands much more than offering “things” to God, and performing “rituals.” God wants us to worship with our lives! In today’s world, we are divided between doctrines, vaccines, masks, personal views, how the Church should be run, and of course, political parties. Everywhere you turn, individuals have strong opinions about the Church, faith, deconstruction of faith, and so much more. The very fabric of our faith is being torn, frayed, and unraveled. But, once the feelings settle, our minds clear, and we become quiet, we feel His presence, when we sit in the quiet and reflect on His life; as we pray for Jesus to come for His people and heal this broken world. Faith means having tremendous confidence in God. It also means having courage and strength; unending grace; and standing up for what is good, pure, true, and right. Faith implies you’re possibly willing to “look like a fool”—willing to be misunderstood or abandoned; even becoming an outcast. It insinuates giving up any semblance of control over your life—because you know the Author of your story is still writing it; and because God knows the outcome. It is, at its core, “walking by belief and not by sight.” When we look around at our world, we can’t help but observe many, relatively empty practices that are extant among the various factions. Anyone who decides something is not in keeping with their interpretation of “how things ought to be” might be inclined to mount a protest or stage a “sit in,” a “march,” or gain notoriety from some contrary behavior. Our ubiquitous social media is always on high alert to chronicle such activities—not so much in support of the cause, but for “views” and “followers,” of their secondary efforts. Many of these “causes” die from lack of interest, after a few “news cycles.” Only a very few are concerned with genuine, important issues that benefit society, as a whole. Those with merit are relatively rare, and then, could reasonably be embraced for the good of all. Simply disagreeing with the status quo, however, tends to be the extent to which most people are willing to go. Such is the stuff of sometimes, heated conversations, at the bar, at parties, or “around the water cooler.” But if we truly believe some injustice is prevalent in our world, and want to affect its remediation, we must be like Jesus, and “take a stand.” This is not without risk, of course, and may mean personal disadvantage, as became His fate, on the Cross. Before embarking on a crusade to right a wrong in our world, one would be best served to give the matter careful consideration, and even prayerful meditation. Before taking on the “establishment” alone, we would be advised to seek allies who shared our views, and who would be willing to stand with us. If the matter involves social situations, it would be well to align ourselves with public servants who could be instrumental in affecting the changes we seek. Contacting committee heads, council members, congresspersons and the like, with petitions about our proposals, may elicit their help, fostering satisfactory solutions, before we blindly burst forth on the scene with an open protest. (Barring something so heinous at work in our society that only the “supreme sacrifice” might be warranted, we are best advised to approach issues with support and counsel.) Life is almost immeasurably more complex than it was in Jesus’ time. However, whenever people interact, there will always be disagreement. (There’s an old saying: “If there are two persons, there are, likely, three opinions.”) May God Richly Bless You! My Soul Waits for the Lord.docx To view a recording of today's Holy Mass, click here: Edited March 3 by Father Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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