Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 501
Lectionary: 501
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| Lc 19,45-48 |
I, John, heard a voice from heaven speak to me.
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
"Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land."
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, "Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."
I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
Then the voice spoke to me and said:
"Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel
who is standing on the sea and on the land."
So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll.
He said to me, "Take and swallow it.
It will turn your stomach sour,
but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey."
I took the small scroll from the angel's hand and swallowed it.
In my mouth it was like sweet honey,
but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
Then someone said to me, "You must prophesy again
about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 119:14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131
R. (103a) How
sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
In the way of your decrees I rejoice,
as much as in all riches.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Yes, your decrees are my delight;
they are my counselors.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
How sweet to my palate are your promises,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
I gasp with open mouth
in my yearning for your commands.
R. How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Gospel Lk 19:45-48
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.
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.
www.usccb.org
Meditation: "All the people hung upon his words "
If we approach God's word with a humble attentive heart and with a willingness to be taught by the Lord, then we are in a good place to allow God's word to change and transform us in the likeness of Christ. The Lord wants to teach us his ways so that we may grow in holiness. The Lord both instructs and disciplines us in love to lead us from the error of our sinful ways to his truth and justice. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). The Lord calls us to be a holy people who worship him with reverence and gratitude for his great mercy and kindness towards us. Do you allow God's word to transform you in his way of love and holiness?
"Lord Jesus, you open wide the door of your house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship you in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to you with gratitude and joy for your great mercy. May I always revere your word and give you acceptable praise and worship."
www.dailyscripture.net
 God’s House Is Holy |
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Friday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary
Time
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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.
1. 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?
2. 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?
3. 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.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
LUKE 19:45-48
(Revelation 10:8-11; Psalm: 119)
KEY VERSE: "My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves" (v 46).
READING: When Jesus entered the precincts of the Jerusalem Temple and saw all the money changers there, he was filled with righteous indignation. God intended that the Temple would be a "house of prayer" (Is.56:7), but it had become a "den of thieves" (Jer 7:11). Jesus swiftly acted to cleanse the Temple of the abusive practices. His actions represented divine judgment against the religious leaders who failed to instruct the people as to the meaning of true worship. The leaders were outraged and wanted to do away with Jesus, but because of his popularity, they could not find a way. By Jesus' actions, he took possession of the Temple as its legitimate and authoritative teacher. From that time until his arrest, the Temple would be the center of his ministry.
REFLECTING: What do I do to help make my parish a true place of worship?
PRAYING:Lord Jesus, help me to respect your holy dwelling place.
Optional Memorial of Clement I, pope and martyr
Clement was the fourth Pope and Apostolic Father. The Basilica of St Clement in Rome is one of the earliest parish churches in the city, and is probably built on the site of Clement's home. He is the author of the "Epistle to the Corinthians". His name occurs in the Canon of the Mass. Origen and St Jerome identify him as working with Saint Paul the Apostle.: Lord Jesus, help me to respect your holy dwelling place.
Optional Memorial of Columban, abbot
Columban was an Irish monk. He went to France and founded many monasteries which he guided with strict discipline. Soon his followers were also building monasteries in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. He was forced into exile by the Frankish King. He went to Italy and founded there the monastery at Bobbio, which was a center of culture and learning as well as spirituality.
Optional Memorial of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro, priest and martyr
Miguel was born to privilege, but he had great affinity for the poor and working classes. As a Jesuit novice, he was exiled during the Mexican revolution. Ordained in Belgium in 1925 at age 36, he returned to Mexico in 1926, a time when churches were closed, priests were in hiding, and persecution of the Church was policy. Fr Miguel used disguises to conduct an underground ministry, bringing the comfort of charity and the sacraments to the faithful. He was falsely accused in 1927 of a bombing attempt. Pro became a wanted man, was betrayed to the police, and without trial, he was sentenced to death. As he was about to be shot, he forgave his executioners, refused a blindfold, and died shouting "Love live Christ the King!" The government prohibited a public funeral, but the faithful lined the streets when his body passed.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
How sweet to my taste is your promise!
Your will is my delight; your statutes are my counsellors.
Jesus recognised what the father’s mission was for him, but how do we discover what his will is for us? Let us sit quietly before God and allow him to speak to our heart. All Jesus taught are God’s statutes, and these are our counsellors—especially to love God and our neighbours as ourselves.
The Good Samaritan went out of his way to help a stranger and is the epitome of ‘neighbour’. We are called to the same, not only to those far away but those as close as next door. By allowing God to look on us with love during prayer energises us to move beyond our fears. It is simple to respond to another who affirms and cares about us, it calls us to go beyond ourselves and to reach out to others in need.
www.churchresources.info
November 23
St. Columban
(543?-615)
Columban was the greatest of the Irish
missionaries who worked on the European continent. As a young man who was
greatly tormented by temptations of the flesh, he sought the advice of a
religious woman who had lived a hermit’s life for years. He saw in her answer a
call to leave the world. He went first to a monk on an island in Lough Erne,
then to the great monastic seat of learning at Bangor.
After many years
of seclusion and prayer, he traveled to Gaul (modern-day France) with 12
companion missionaries. They won wide respect for the rigor of their
discipline, their preaching, and their commitment to charity and religious life
in a time characterized by clerical slackness and civil strife. Columban
established several monasteries in Europe which became centers of religion and
culture.
Like all saints,
he met opposition. Ultimately he had to appeal to the pope against complaints
of Frankish bishops, for vindication of his orthodoxy and approval of Irish
customs. He reproved the king for his licentious life, insisting that he marry.
Since this threatened the power of the queen mother, Columban was deported to
Ireland. His ship ran aground in a storm, and he continued his work in Europe,
ultimately arriving in Italy, where he found favor with the king of the
Lombards. In his last years he established the famous monastery of Bobbio,
where he died. His writings include a treatise on penance and against Arianism,
sermons, poetry and his monastic rule.
Comment:
Now that public sexual license is becoming extreme, we need the Church's jolting memory of a young man as concerned about chastity as Columban. And now that the comfort-captured Western world stands in tragic contrast to starving millions, we need the challenge to austerity and discipline of a group of Irish monks. They were too strict, we say; they went too far. How far shall we go?
Now that public sexual license is becoming extreme, we need the Church's jolting memory of a young man as concerned about chastity as Columban. And now that the comfort-captured Western world stands in tragic contrast to starving millions, we need the challenge to austerity and discipline of a group of Irish monks. They were too strict, we say; they went too far. How far shall we go?
Quote:
Writing to the pope about a doctrinal controversy in Lombardy, Columban said: “We Irish, living in the farthest parts of the earth, are followers of St. Peter and St. Paul and of the disciples who wrote down the sacred canon under the Holy Spirit. We accept nothing outside this evangelical and apostolic teaching.... I confess I am grieved by the bad repute of the chair of St. Peter in this country.... Though Rome is great and known afar, she is great and honored with us only because of this chair.... Look after the peace of the Church, stand between your sheep and the wolves.”
November 23Writing to the pope about a doctrinal controversy in Lombardy, Columban said: “We Irish, living in the farthest parts of the earth, are followers of St. Peter and St. Paul and of the disciples who wrote down the sacred canon under the Holy Spirit. We accept nothing outside this evangelical and apostolic teaching.... I confess I am grieved by the bad repute of the chair of St. Peter in this country.... Though Rome is great and known afar, she is great and honored with us only because of this chair.... Look after the peace of the Church, stand between your sheep and the wolves.”
Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro*
(1891-1927)
¡Viva Cristo Rey! (Long live Christ the King) were the last words Father Pro
uttered before he was executed for being a Catholic priest and serving his
flock.
Born into a
prosperous, devout family in Guadalupe de Zacatecas, Mexico, he entered the
Jesuits in 1911 but three years later fled to Granada, Spain, because of
religious persecution in Mexico. He was ordained in Belgium in 1925.
He immediately
returned to Mexico, where he served a Church forced to go “underground.” He
celebrated the Eucharist clandestinely and ministered the other sacraments to
small groups of Catholics.
He and his
brother Roberto were arrested on trumped-up charges of attempting to
assassinate Mexico’s president. Roberto was spared but Miguel was sentenced to
face a firing squad on November 23, 1927. His funeral became a public
demonstration of faith. He was beatified in 1988.
Comment:
When Father Miguel Pro was executed in 1927, no one could have predicted that 52 years later the bishop of Rome would visit Mexico, be welcomed by its president and celebrate open-air Masses before thousands of people. Pope John Paul II made additional trips to Mexico in 1990, 1993 and 1999. Those who outlawed the Catholic Church in Mexico did not count on the deeply rooted faith of its people and the willingness of many of them, like Miguel Pro, to die as martyrs.
When Father Miguel Pro was executed in 1927, no one could have predicted that 52 years later the bishop of Rome would visit Mexico, be welcomed by its president and celebrate open-air Masses before thousands of people. Pope John Paul II made additional trips to Mexico in 1990, 1993 and 1999. Those who outlawed the Catholic Church in Mexico did not count on the deeply rooted faith of its people and the willingness of many of them, like Miguel Pro, to die as martyrs.
Quote:
During his homily at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II said that Father Pro “is a new glory for the beloved Mexican nation, as well as for the Society of Jesus. His life of sacrificing and intrepid apostolate was always inspired by a tireless evangelizing effort. Neither suffering nor serious illness, neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in difficult and dangerous circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away (see John 16:22). Indeed, the deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to him, even unto death.”
During his homily at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II said that Father Pro “is a new glory for the beloved Mexican nation, as well as for the Society of Jesus. His life of sacrificing and intrepid apostolate was always inspired by a tireless evangelizing effort. Neither suffering nor serious illness, neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in difficult and dangerous circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away (see John 16:22). Indeed, the deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to him, even unto death.”
*José
Ramón Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez also
known as Blessed Miguel Pro (born January 13, 1891 – executed
November 23, 1927),
www.americancatholic.org
Pope St. Clement I
Patron of Marble-Workers
Died: 100?
Little is known of this apostolic father beyond a few facts. He was a disciple of S. Peter, and perhaps of S. Paul. It is thought that the Clement whom S. Paul praises as a faithful fellow- worker, whose name is written in the Book of Life [Philippians 4:3], was Clement, afterwards bishop of Rome. But there is great difficulty in admitting this supposition. It is certain that Clement, the idol of the Petrine party in the Primitive Church, about whom their myths and traditions circled lovingly, was quite removed in feeling from the Pauline party.
According to Tertullian, Clement succeeded S. Peter immediately in the episcopal government of the Church at Rome. But in the list of bishops given us by Irenaeus and Eusebius he occupies the third place after the apostle, that is, after Linus and Cletus (Anacletus). It is, however, probable that the Church at Rome had at first two successions, one Petrine, the other Pauline, but that they speedily merged into one; and this will account for the confusion in the lists of the first bishops of Rome. Clement probably was Petrine, and Cletus Pauline bishop, the former ruling the converted Jews, the latter the Gentile converts. We know nothing of the events of his pontificate, except that there was a schism at Corinth, which drew forth a letter from him which is preserved. S. Jerome and S. Irenaeus do not say that he died a martyr's death, but Rufinus and Zosimus give him the title of martyr; but this title by no means implies that he had died for the faith; it had anciently more extended signification than at present, and included all who had witnessed a good confession, and suffered in any way for their faith.
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| St.Clement is the only Roman Pope to have a Russian Orthodox church dedicated to his name. |
This is all that we know of S. Clement. But imagination has spun a web of romance about his person.
The Clementine Recognitions and Homilies are an early romance representing the disputation of S. Peter and Simon Magus; they have a story running through them to hold the long disquisitions together, of which S. Clement is the hero. It is, however, pure romance, with, perhaps, only this basis of truth in it, that Clement is represented as the devoted adherent and disciple of S. Peter. The Clementines are thoroughly anti-Pauline, as are also the Apostolic Constitutions, in which again S. Clement appears prominently.
The legend of the martyrdom of S. Clement relates that, in the reign of Trajan, when Mamertinus was prefect of the city, and Toractianus count of the offices, a sedition arose among the rabble of Rome against the Christians, and especially against Clement, bishop of Rome. Mamertinus interfered to put down the riot, and having arrested Clement, sent him to the emperor, who ordered his banishment to Pontus, where he was
condemned to work in the marble quarries. He found many Christians among his fellow-convicts, and comforted and encouraged them. The only spring of drinking water was six miles off, and it was a great hardship to the convicts to have to fetch it all from such a distance. One day Clement saw a lamb scraping at the soil with one of its forefeet. He took it as a sign that water was there; dug, and found a spring.
As Clement succeeded in converting many pagans, he was sent to Aufidianus, the prefect, who ordered him to be drowned in the sea with an old anchor attached to his neck. His body was recovered by his disciple Phoebus. The relics of S. Clement were translated to Constantinople (860) by S. Cyril on his return from his mission to the Chazars, whilst engaged in the Chersonese on his Sclavonic translation of the Gospels. Some of the relics found their way to Rome, and were deposited in the church of San Clemente, where they are still reverently preserved. These consist of bones, some reddened earth, a broken vase containing some red matter, a little bottle similarly filled, and an inscription stating that these are the relics of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Scilita, and also of Flavius Clement.
In art S. Clement of Rome is represented as a Pope with an anchor at his side. [His death is placed at about 100 A.D.]
From The Lives of the Saints by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould, M.A., published in 1914 in Edinburgh.
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| The martyrdom of St.Clement I |
www.catholic.org
LECTIO: LUKE 19,45-48
Lectio:
Friday,
November 23, 2012
Ordinary Time
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1) Opening prayer
Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 19,45-48
Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were busy trading, saying to them, 'According to scripture, my house shall be a house of prayer but you have turned it into a bandits' den.'
He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, in company with the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they could not find a way to carry this out because the whole people hung on his words.
3) Reflection
• Context. Luke after having described the journey of Jesus going up to Jerusalem (11-19, 28) now presents him while he is carrying out his activity in the context of the Temple. After the entrance of the one sent by the Lord into Jerusalem passing through the door on the East (19, 45), the Temple becomes the first place where Jesus carries out his activity: the controversies that are narrated take place in this place and they refer to this. Jesus’ going to the Temple is not only a personal fact but also concerns the “multitude of his disciples” (v. 37) on their relationship with God (vv. 31-34). Luke above all, presents a first episode in which are presented the preparations for the entrance of Jesus into the Temple (vv. 29-36) and their realization (vv. 37-40); then follows a scene where we find the passage of today’s liturgy: his installation in the Temple and driving out the sellers from the Temple (vv. 45-48).
• The gesture of Jesus. This does not have a political value but a prophetic significance. The reader thinks that the great purpose of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is the entrance into the Temple. To recall the prophecy of Malachi is evident that is fulfilled at the entrance of Jesus into the Temple: “And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple...” (3, 1). The gesture of driving out the sellers from the Temple is accompanied by Jesus with two references to Scripture. Above all, Is 56, 7: “My house will be a house of prayer”. The Temple is the place in which Jesus turns back to the Father. The commercial and business activity has made the Temple a den of bandits and has deprived it of its only and exclusive function: the encounter with the presence of God. The second reference from Scripture: is taken from Jeremiah 7, 11: “Do you look on this Temple that bears my name as a den of bandits?” The image of the den of bandits serves Jesus to condemn the material traffic on the one side and not only the dishonest traffic of trade or business that in a hidden and illegal way was carried out in the Temple. Jesus demands a complete change: to purify the Temple from all that human negative things and to bring it back to its original function: to render an authentic service to God. And driving out those impostors of the trade and business the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled: «There will be no more traders in the Temple of Yahweh Sabaoth, when that Day comes” (14, 21). These words of Jesus on the Temple are not directed to a restoration of the purity of the cult or worship, as was the intention of the Zelots. The intention of Jesus goes beyond the purity of the cult; it is more radical, intransigent: the Temple is not a work done by human efforts; the presence of God is not bound to its material aspect; the authentic service of God is carried out by Jesus through his teaching. Because of this preaching “the high priests and the Scribes together with the leading citizens tried to do away with him” (v. 47). Within this temporary place of the Temple Jesus carries out a highly significant teaching, in fact, it is precisely in this place that is so fundamental for the Jews that his teaching reaches the summit and it will be from here that the words of the Apostles will begin also (Act 5, 12.20.25.42). The diffusion of the Word of grace of which Jesus is the only bearer extends itself like an arch that begins with his opposition, when he was still only twelve years old in the Temple among the doctors of the Law; it is prolonged with his teaching when going across Galilee and during his journey to Jerusalem; until he entered the Temple where he takes possession of the house of God. The bases for the future mission of the Church are placed in this place: the diffusion of the Word of God. The heads of the people do not intend to suppress Jesus for having ruined the progress of the economic affairs of that time, but the reasons go back to all his previous activity of teaching and now these act in his discourse against the temple. Jesus claims something and this causes the reaction of the high priests and of the Scribes to break out. In contrast with this hostile behaviour one can see the positive one of the people who “are hanging from his words”. Jesus is considered as the Messiah who gathers around him with his Word of grace the people of God.
4) Personal questions
• Does your prayer to the Lord consist in a simple relationship of father to son in which to find all the strength to communicate with God, or rather is it accompanied by uses and practices to gain over his goodness?
• When you listen to the Word of Jesus do you feel seized by his teaching like the crowds who hung from his words? Or rather are you sufficiently attentive to listen to the Gospel and do you adhere to Christ?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Law you have uttered is more precious to me
than all the wealth in the world.
How pleasant your promise to my palate,
sweeter than honey in my mouth! (Ps 119,72.103)
www.ocarm.orgFather of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 19,45-48
Jesus went into the Temple and began driving out those who were busy trading, saying to them, 'According to scripture, my house shall be a house of prayer but you have turned it into a bandits' den.'
He taught in the Temple every day. The chief priests and the scribes, in company with the leading citizens, tried to do away with him, but they could not find a way to carry this out because the whole people hung on his words.
3) Reflection
• Context. Luke after having described the journey of Jesus going up to Jerusalem (11-19, 28) now presents him while he is carrying out his activity in the context of the Temple. After the entrance of the one sent by the Lord into Jerusalem passing through the door on the East (19, 45), the Temple becomes the first place where Jesus carries out his activity: the controversies that are narrated take place in this place and they refer to this. Jesus’ going to the Temple is not only a personal fact but also concerns the “multitude of his disciples” (v. 37) on their relationship with God (vv. 31-34). Luke above all, presents a first episode in which are presented the preparations for the entrance of Jesus into the Temple (vv. 29-36) and their realization (vv. 37-40); then follows a scene where we find the passage of today’s liturgy: his installation in the Temple and driving out the sellers from the Temple (vv. 45-48).
• The gesture of Jesus. This does not have a political value but a prophetic significance. The reader thinks that the great purpose of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is the entrance into the Temple. To recall the prophecy of Malachi is evident that is fulfilled at the entrance of Jesus into the Temple: “And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple...” (3, 1). The gesture of driving out the sellers from the Temple is accompanied by Jesus with two references to Scripture. Above all, Is 56, 7: “My house will be a house of prayer”. The Temple is the place in which Jesus turns back to the Father. The commercial and business activity has made the Temple a den of bandits and has deprived it of its only and exclusive function: the encounter with the presence of God. The second reference from Scripture: is taken from Jeremiah 7, 11: “Do you look on this Temple that bears my name as a den of bandits?” The image of the den of bandits serves Jesus to condemn the material traffic on the one side and not only the dishonest traffic of trade or business that in a hidden and illegal way was carried out in the Temple. Jesus demands a complete change: to purify the Temple from all that human negative things and to bring it back to its original function: to render an authentic service to God. And driving out those impostors of the trade and business the prophecy of Zechariah is fulfilled: «There will be no more traders in the Temple of Yahweh Sabaoth, when that Day comes” (14, 21). These words of Jesus on the Temple are not directed to a restoration of the purity of the cult or worship, as was the intention of the Zelots. The intention of Jesus goes beyond the purity of the cult; it is more radical, intransigent: the Temple is not a work done by human efforts; the presence of God is not bound to its material aspect; the authentic service of God is carried out by Jesus through his teaching. Because of this preaching “the high priests and the Scribes together with the leading citizens tried to do away with him” (v. 47). Within this temporary place of the Temple Jesus carries out a highly significant teaching, in fact, it is precisely in this place that is so fundamental for the Jews that his teaching reaches the summit and it will be from here that the words of the Apostles will begin also (Act 5, 12.20.25.42). The diffusion of the Word of grace of which Jesus is the only bearer extends itself like an arch that begins with his opposition, when he was still only twelve years old in the Temple among the doctors of the Law; it is prolonged with his teaching when going across Galilee and during his journey to Jerusalem; until he entered the Temple where he takes possession of the house of God. The bases for the future mission of the Church are placed in this place: the diffusion of the Word of God. The heads of the people do not intend to suppress Jesus for having ruined the progress of the economic affairs of that time, but the reasons go back to all his previous activity of teaching and now these act in his discourse against the temple. Jesus claims something and this causes the reaction of the high priests and of the Scribes to break out. In contrast with this hostile behaviour one can see the positive one of the people who “are hanging from his words”. Jesus is considered as the Messiah who gathers around him with his Word of grace the people of God.
4) Personal questions
• Does your prayer to the Lord consist in a simple relationship of father to son in which to find all the strength to communicate with God, or rather is it accompanied by uses and practices to gain over his goodness?
• When you listen to the Word of Jesus do you feel seized by his teaching like the crowds who hung from his words? Or rather are you sufficiently attentive to listen to the Gospel and do you adhere to Christ?
5) Concluding Prayer
The Law you have uttered is more precious to me
than all the wealth in the world.
How pleasant your promise to my palate,
sweeter than honey in my mouth! (Ps 119,72.103)
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