Third Sunday of Lent
Lectionary: 29
Lectionary: 29
In those days, God
delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
“I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
In those days, God
delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
“I, the LORD am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 11
R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
Reading 21 COR 1:22-25
Brothers and
sisters:
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
Verse Before The GospelJN 3:16
God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
GospelJN 2:13-25
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.
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.
Scripture Study
March 8, 2015 Third Sunday of Lent
The liturgical season of Lent began on Ash Wednesday and runs
until Holy Thursday night. Lent has a two fold character. It serves as a time
for the immediate preparation of the catechumens and candidates who will be
fully initiated into the church at the Easter Vigil when they celebrate the
sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist). It also
serves as a time for the rest of us to prepare ourselves, by penance,
alms-giving and prayer to celebrate the Paschal Mystery and the renewal of our
own baptismal promises at Easter. This double character actually speaks of two
ways to describe the same journey. All of us, whether new catechumen or long
time believer, are constantly being called to more complete conversion. God
always calls us to approach Him more closely. During this time, the church
invites us to spend time with Jesus, John the Baptist and the ancient prophets
of Israel in the wilderness, listening to this call from God and reflecting on
the mystery of redemption through the cross and resurrection of Jesus and on
what it means for each of us today.
Although we are in the midst of Cycle B, in parishes where the
RCIA will celebrate the First Scrutiny of the Elect this Sunday, the readings
for Cycle A will be used at those Masses rather than the ones for Cycle B. At
St. Raymond Parish this will occur at the 10:30 Mass. The Cycle A readings are:
Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4: 5-42. These readings call us to think
about our thirst for eternal life and how it can be quenched only by the
life-giving water of the Holy Spirit that comes to us through Jesus. We, like
the Israelites, in the first reading are called to recognize God in our lives
and to trust in His care for us. Paul reminds us that in spite of our
sinfulness, and in the midst of our woundedness, God has justified us in Christ
and poured forth His love into our hearts in the gift of the Holy Spirit. The
Gospel gives us a model of conversion as Jesus goes to Samaria and reclaims a
people who had strayed. May He do the same for us in today’s church and in
today’s world.
First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17
1 Then God delivered all these commandments: 2 “I,
the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of
slavery. 3 You shall not have other gods besides me. 4 You
shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; 5 you
shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a
jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the
children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; 6 but
bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who
love me and keep my commandments. 7 “You shall not take the
name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him
who takes his name in vain. 8 “Remember to keep holy the
sabbath day. 9 Six days you may labor and do all your work, 10 but
the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then
either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your
beast, or by the alien who lives with you. 11 In six days the
LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on
the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and
made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that you
may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. 13 “You
shall not kill. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You
shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his
ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”
NOTES on First Reading:
* 20:1-17 The precise division of these precepts into “ten
commandments” is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally among Catholics, Exodus
20:1-6 is considered as only one commandment, and Exodus 20:17 as two. Cf Deut
5:6-21.
* 20:5-6 “Impassioned” is a better translation than “jealous”.
Yahweh is passionately committed to Israel. The people encompass more than one
generation. Sin in the Bible often meant the act and the consequences of the
act. Those consequences were often seen as coming directly from God. Although
the statement in verse 5 about God punishing the children of sinners seems
harsh to our modern ears, when taken with verse 6 it is a Semitism that, by
contrast, emphasizes how much greater the mercy of God is than is His justice.
The language contrasts the third generation with the thousandth generation.
* 20:7 There are two usual ways of interpreting this
commandment. On the one hand it may be seen as requiring respect for the Divine
Name in general or on the other hand it may be seen as prohibiting the use of
false oaths in legal proceedings. Another less common way of interpreting it
follows: There may be a link with the ancient middle eastern understanding of
name as giving an advantage over the one whose name one knows. In this case it
may actually be a prohibition against the use of the Divine Name in any
attempts to control God or manipulate Him into doing something.
* 20:17 The word used is “dmx chamad khaw-mad” which means
conspiracy or taking steps to steal not simply covet.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world did not come
to know God through wisdom, it was the will of God through the foolishness of
the proclamation to save those who have faith. 22 For Jews
demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we proclaim
Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but
to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than
human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 1:22 The demand for signs (as in Exodus17:3-7) is a refusal to
trust God and hides a satisfaction with the status quo. Greeks, here, actually
refers to Gentiles. Wisdom as used here is a reference to the gentile
construction of a religious systems and then living by it.
* 1:23 The Crucified Christ is rejected by Jews because of their
Messianic expectations and by Gentiles because of their rationalism.
* 1:24 The authentic humanity of Jesus makes visible God�s intentions for humanity
and radiates an attractive force that enables a response to it.
* 1:25 Paradox illustrates that God�s ways are not our ways.
Gospel Reading: John 2:13-25
13 Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went
up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple area those who sold
oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. 15 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, 16 and to those who sold doves he said, “Take
these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” 17 His
disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume
me.” 18 At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign
can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered and said to
them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The
Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and
you will raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking
about the temple of his body. 22 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. 23 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. 24 But Jesus would
not trust himself to them because he knew them all, 25 and did
not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
NOTES on Gospel Reading:
* 2:13 This is the first of three Passovers mentioned in John�s Gospel. The others are:
6:4; 13:1 Taken literally that makes the public ministry of Jesus at least two
years long and possibly as tradition has always maintained three.
* 2:14 These were the animals that were to be offered in
sacrifice in the temple worship.
* 2:15 The language used by John indicates that this version of
the incident was developed as a separate tradition from the ones given in the
other gospels. See Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48. The other gospels place this
incident at the end of Jesus career while John places it at the beginning. The
reason for the move is that John uses the raising of Lazarus as the immediate
cause for the arrest of Jesus rather than the sharp attack on the temple. The
attack on the temple serves as a preparation for the saying on “true
worshipers” in 4:21.
* 2:17 This is a quote from Ps 69:10 although the tense was
changed. The word, “remembered”, is a technical word in John for the process by
which the community came to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture after the
resurrection.
* 2:18 They also ask for a sign in the other gospels. The
statement in Zec would indicate that the action is itself a sign. See Zec 14:21
* 2:19 Jesus�
answer to their question would have been totally unintelligible to them.
Typical of John there is a misunderstanding which gives the writer an
opportunity to explain the meaning to the reader.
* 2:21 Here John explains the symbolic meaning of Jesus� statement to the reader.
The replacement of the temple by the resurrected body of Jesus in which the
Holy Spirit is present is a major idea in the Gospel of John. For John, Jesus
is the reality of all the religious symbols of Israel expressed together at the
same time.
* 2:22 In this verse John seems to make the word of Jesus equal
to the scriptures, the Word of God.
If Scrutinies are celebrated, the following readings are
proclaimed instead of the previous readings.
First Reading: Exodus 17:3-7
3 Here, then, in their thirst for water, the people
grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it
just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?” 4 So
Moses cried out to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? A little more
and they will stone me!” 5 The LORD answered Moses, “Go over
there in front of the people, along with some of the elders of Israel, holding
in your hand, as you go, the staff with which you struck the river. 6 I
will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock,
and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” This Moses did, in
the presence of the elders of Israel. 7 The place was called
Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled there and tested the LORD,
saying, “Is the LORD in our midst or not?”
NOTES on First Reading:
* 17:3-7 The issue is not thirst but the rejection of the value
of the Exodus. This is a rejection of the Divine plan. The people do not
believe that God can care for them. There is no Divine rebuke, simply a command
to take the elders as witnesses and to strike the rock and water will spring
forth.
* 17:6 In Horeb is a reference to Exodus 3:1-5 where Moses had
met God. The rock is used as an image of Christ in 1 Cor 10:4.
* 17:7 Massah and Meribah are Hebrew words meaning respectively,
“the (place of the) test,” and, “the (place of the) quarreling.”
Second Reading: Romans 5:1-2, 5-8
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we
boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we
even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and
endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 and
hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our
hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us. 6 For
Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the
ungodly. 7 Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a
just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to
die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we were
still sinners Christ died for us.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 5:1-11 Popular thinking frequently construed reverses and
troubles as punishment for sin as in John 9:2. Paul assures believers that
God’s justifying action in Jesus Christ is an act of peace. The crucifixion of
Jesus Christ displays God’s initiative in giving humanity unimpeded access into
the Divine presence.
* 5:1 Reconciliation is God’s gift of pardon to the entire human
race. Paul’s term, justification, means to benefit personally from this pardon
through faith. God desires to liberate believers from the pre-Christian self as
described in Romans 1-3. Because this liberation will first find completion in
the believer’s resurrection, salvation is described as future in Romans 5:10.
For this reason it is called the Christian hope.
Paul’s Greek term for hope does not, however, suggest any note of uncertainty. Rather, God’s promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation for the climactic gift of complete commitment in the Holy Spirit to the performance of the will of God. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment teach believers patience and strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God’s love (Romans 5:5).
Paul’s Greek term for hope does not, however, suggest any note of uncertainty. Rather, God’s promise in the gospel fills believers with expectation and anticipation for the climactic gift of complete commitment in the Holy Spirit to the performance of the will of God. The persecutions that attend Christian commitment teach believers patience and strengthen this hope, which will not disappoint them because the Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts and imbues them with God’s love (Romans 5:5).
* 5:3-4 These two verses are included here for completeness but
are left out of the Lectionary reading.
*5:7 In Paul’s time a “just” person would have been one who was
known to be generous with others, especially the poor.
Gospel Reading: John 4:5-42
5 So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near
the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s
well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It
was about noon.
7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to
her, “Give me a drink.” 8 His disciples had gone into the town
to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you,
a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common
with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you
knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would
have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 (The
woman) said to him, “Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is
deep; where then can you get this living water? 12 Are you
greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it
himself with his children and his flocks?” 13 Jesus answered
and said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; 14 but
whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give
will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The
woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or
have to keep coming here to draw water.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Go call your husband and come
back.” 17 The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a
husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a
husband.’ 18 For you have had five husbands, and the one you
have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The
woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our
ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to
worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me,
woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people worship what you do
not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the
Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true
worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father
seeks such people to worship him. 24 God is Spirit, and those
who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” 25 The
woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the
Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Jesus
said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking with you.”
27 At that moment his disciples returned, and were
amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, “What are you
looking for?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 The woman
left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, 29 “Come
see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the
Messiah?” 30 They went out of the town and came to him. 31 Meanwhile,
the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.” 32 But he said to them,
“I have food to eat of which you do not know.” 33 So the
disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to
eat?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the
one who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘In
four months the harvest will be here’? I tell you, look up and see the fields
ripe for the harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving his
payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can
rejoice together. 37 For here the saying is verified that ‘One
sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you have
not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of
their work.”
39 Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe
in him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I
have done.” 40 When the Samaritans came to him, they invited
him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41 Many
more began to believe in him because of his word, 42 and they
said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word; for we have
heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world.”
NOTES on Gospel:
* 4:5 The Old Testament is full of meetings at wells. They form
a very important part of the Patriarchal narratives; see Gen 25:10; Gen 29:1;
Ex 2:15. Here John uses a meeting of Jesus and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s
well to show us the basic elements of conversion. She at first resists His
questions and tries to change the subject. Jesus refuses to play along with her
and she is empowered by His presence to face her past and begin a new life. At
the end of the story she is described by John in the same words he uses in
Ch.17 to describe the missionary work of the apostles. So she changes from an
outcast sinner into a missionary for Christ.
* 4:6 The hour was counted from dawn so the sixth hour is about
noon. Water in such a place is drawn at the end of the day or in the early
morning but not in the noontime heat. She may have been trying to avoid the
other women who would be found at the well during the more usual times for
drawing water.
* 4:9 Jews would consider themselves to be ritually unclean if
they drank from a cup that had been handled by a Samaritan woman. This is why
the woman is surprised by His request.
* 4:10 The term “living water” meant a spring or a river or any
water body that had the water in motion rather than stagnant. Water from such a
moving source was considered much more desirable than water that had been
sitting in a well. Jesus uses it in a symbolic sense as the Holy Spirit. Living
water has been used often as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and for the life that
stems from Him. John often used such verbal misunderstandings as a literary
device to provide the opportunity to inject a further explanation. See 3:3.
* 4:11 John uses the misunderstanding as a springboard for Jesus
to reach out to her and help her face the stumbling blocks from her past that
had alienated her from God and from her neighbors.
The woman addresses Jesus as “kyrios” which is translated as “Sir” here. This is the same word, usually translated as LORD, that was used in the Septuagint (Greek text of the Old Testament) for the Hebrew word “Adonai” as a substitute for the Hebrew Name of God, “YHWH”, also called the tetragrammaton.
The woman addresses Jesus as “kyrios” which is translated as “Sir” here. This is the same word, usually translated as LORD, that was used in the Septuagint (Greek text of the Old Testament) for the Hebrew word “Adonai” as a substitute for the Hebrew Name of God, “YHWH”, also called the tetragrammaton.
* 4:14 Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit whose presence will
infuse the believer with eternal life.
* 4:15 The woman does not understand and is still thinking of
“drinking water.”
* 4:17 Jesus confronts the woman with her past and she tries to
change the subject.
* 4:18 The reference to five husbands may be interpreted in at
least two ways. As a personal scandal: The accepted standard was that a woman
could be divorced 2 times, and a few more radical teachers would allow three
times but a woman who had been divorced five times would be considered a
scandal. This may have been what made the woman an outcast among the people.
As a symbolic scandal: There were five waves of gentile invasions that swept through Samaria. The Samaritans accepted them and intermarried with them and accepted some of their cultural artifacts. This made them unclean in the sight of the Jews.
As a symbolic scandal: There were five waves of gentile invasions that swept through Samaria. The Samaritans accepted them and intermarried with them and accepted some of their cultural artifacts. This made them unclean in the sight of the Jews.
* 4:24 Protestants tend to interpret this as: Jesus is speaking
about interior worship of the Father in the Spirit. Catholics tend to interpret
this as: Jesus is talking about worship of the Father by the power of the
Spirit which is found in the church. The text and grammar allow both
interpretations although the Catholic view is much older. Either way, taken
with verse 21 it seems that Jesus is saying that both the Temple worship of
Jerusalem and the worship of the Samaritans will soon be replaced by “true
worship in Spirit and truth.”
* 4:25 Apparently the Samaritans were not expecting a Messiah
who would be a king but one who would be a prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15).
* 4:26 Jesus uses a term that can also be translated as “I am”,
the same name that God used when He met Moses and which became identified as
God’s self-revelation to His people (Exod 3:14; Isa 41:4-10, 43:3). This link
will be made explicit when Jesus is shown to be greater than Abraham (8:24,28).
Confession of Jesus as prophet, Messiah, Savior of the world, and equal to God
will become the basis for true worship in John’s community.
* 4:27 A Jewish Rabbi would not speak to a woman in public.
Jesus seems to disregard this social requirement.
* 4:28 The woman abandons the very reason that she went to the
well in the first place and leaving the water behind she goes back to town to
tell others about Jesus. Her actions follow the pattern of the discipleship
stories presented in 1:40-49.
* 4:31-34 The disciples misunderstand Jesus’ words about “food”
just as the woman misunderstood His words about “water”. Jewish tradition often
described the Torah as food (Prov 9:5, Sir 24:21). Jesus makes doing God’s will
His “food.” This expression is common in Jesus’ ministry (5:30.36;6:38,17:4).
* 4:35-38 John has placed a series of proverbial sayings here
that parallel the agricultural imagery of the Synoptic Gospels. Jesus uses them
to aim the disciples toward their task of harvesting those who come close to
Jesus.
* 4:37-38 Jesus uses the saying from Mic 6:15 with the
pessimistic overtones removed. He has sower and reaper rejoicing together which
was taken as a sign of a new age (Lev 26:5 implies an overlap of sowing and
reaping).
* 4:39-42 The woman is presented as a missionary in virtually
the same words as the disciples are in Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20. The
Samaritans first believe because of the words of the woman. They must have seen
something vastly different in her in order to get past their previous opinion
of her and actually listen. Later their belief is based upon their own
experience of Jesus and His Word.
Courtesy of: http://www.st-raymond-dublin.org/ -
St. Raymond Catholic Church
Meditation: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise
it up"
What can keep us from the presence of God?
Jesus' dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his disciples as a
prophetic sign of God's work to purify and restore true worship and holiness
among his people. The temple was understood as the dwelling place of God among
his people. When God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought
them safely through the Red Sea, and led them to Mount Sinai where he made a
covenant with them and gave them a new way of living in moral goodness
and holiness embodied in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God also gave
Moses instruction for how his people were to worship him in holiness and he instructed
them to make a Tabernacle, which was also referred to as the "tent of
meeting" where the people gathered to offer sacrifice and worship to God.
The tent of meeting was later replaced by the construction of the temple at
Jerusalem. The New Testament tells us that these "serve as a copy and
shadow of the heavenly sanctuary" - God's true Temple in heaven (Hebrews
8:5). Jesus' cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants
to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of our sinful ways in order
to make us into living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). God
desires that we be holy as he is holy. Do you thirst and hunger for God's
holiness?
Jesus burns with zeal for his Father's house
When Jesus went to Jerusalem at Passover time he shocked the Jewish leaders by forcibly expelling the money-chargers and traders from the temple. Jesus referred to the temple as his Father's house which was being made into a "house of trade" (John 2:16) and "den of robbers" (Mark 11:17). The prophecy of Malachi foretold the coming of the Lord unexpectedly to his Temple to "purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord" (Malachi 3:1-4). Jesus' disciples recalled the prophetic words of Psalm 69: "Zeal for your house will consume me." This psalm was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw Jesus more clearly as the Messiah who burned with zeal for God's house.
When Jesus went to Jerusalem at Passover time he shocked the Jewish leaders by forcibly expelling the money-chargers and traders from the temple. Jesus referred to the temple as his Father's house which was being made into a "house of trade" (John 2:16) and "den of robbers" (Mark 11:17). The prophecy of Malachi foretold the coming of the Lord unexpectedly to his Temple to "purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord" (Malachi 3:1-4). Jesus' disciples recalled the prophetic words of Psalm 69: "Zeal for your house will consume me." This psalm was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw Jesus more clearly as the Messiah who burned with zeal for God's house.
The Jewish authorities wanted proof that Jesus
had divine authority to act as he did. They demanded a sign from God to prove
Jesus right, otherwise, they would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of
their authority. Jesus spoke of himself as the true Temple which cleanses and
makes us a holy people who can dwell with God. The sign Jesus gave pointed to
his sacrificial death on the cross and his rising from the tomb on the third
day: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"
(John 2:19). The Jews did not understand that the temple Jesus referred to was
his own body. The "tent of his body" had to first be destroyed (that
is, be put to death as the atoning sacrifice for our sins) in order to open the
way for us to freely enter into the holy presence of God in his sanctuary.
The Lord Jesus makes us temples of the Holy
Spirit
Through his death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus has reconciled us with God and made us adopted sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, and he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us living temples of our God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Do you recognize the indwelling presence of God within you through the the gift and working of his Holy Spirit? The Lord Jesus wants to renew our minds and to purify our hearts so that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. Ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with a holy desire and burning zeal for his holiness and glory to grow in you and transform the way you think, act, and live as a son or daughter of God.
Through his death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus has reconciled us with God and made us adopted sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, and he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us living temples of our God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Do you recognize the indwelling presence of God within you through the the gift and working of his Holy Spirit? The Lord Jesus wants to renew our minds and to purify our hearts so that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. Ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with a holy desire and burning zeal for his holiness and glory to grow in you and transform the way you think, act, and live as a son or daughter of God.
"Lord Jesus Christ, you open wide the door
of your Father's house and you bid us to enter confidently that we may worship
in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near to your throne of mercy with
gratitude and joy."
| Purify Us, Lord! |
March 8, 2015. Third Sunday of Lent
|
By Father David Daly, LC
John 2:13-25
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 moneychangers 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 moneychangers 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. Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe in your Incarnation: that you came to teach us, suffer for us and show us the way home to heaven. I trust in your utter goodness and mercy and am confident that you are leading me always. I love you and wish to make you known to many others, so they can be filled with the peace and joy that only you can give. Here I am now, ready and longing to encounter you through this meditation. Petition: Lord, purify me! 1. “Zeal for Your House Will Consume Me.” When they witnessed Jesus cleansing the Temple, the apostles remembered the words from Psalm 69: “It is zeal for your house that has consumed me” (Psalm 69:9). Through his zeal — his passionate love for God’s house — Jesus fulfills the words from the Old Testament. He takes possession of his own house, the Temple, and he evicts all of those who are making it a place of commerce. In doing so Christ teaches us that our faith must also be pure from all selfish, pragmatic concerns. We must be purified to grow in our friendship with Christ. 2. Destroy This Temple: Jesus’ teachings about the Temple also show us the path to interior purification: the Paschal Mystery. He refers to his death and resurrection when he says, “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Not only does he fulfill the Old Testament in this Gospel passage, but he also gives us the example and the key to our own purification: We must die to ourselves in order to have life! We must cast out the concerns and “commerce” that dominate our hearts and minds even during times of prayer. Only through purification can we can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. 3. Jesus Knows: Jesus does not need anyone to tell him about human nature. He knows it well. He knows how hard it is to break away from what is merely human and to elevate all we do to a spiritual level. When he was on earth, he experienced the struggle and the temptations we face. Through his unfailing example he taught us how to live. He taught us to be radical in choosing God in our lives and courageous in putting him first. We need to put him first in our work, family and personal lives. When we can put God first, then we can truly be temples of the Holy Spirit. Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, you know how we become weighed down with mere human concerns; yet you desire much more for us. Help me to follow your example and be radical in my interior life. Give me the strength to put you above all other worries and concerns. Resolution: Lord, today I will weigh what really is first in my life against what ought to be first in my life, and I will take a specific step to reestablish the proper order. |
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, MARCH 8, JOHN 2:13-25
(Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; I Corinthians 1:22-25)
(Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; I Corinthians 1:22-25)
KEY VERSE: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (v 20).
READING: The temple in Jerusalem was the center of worship and sacrifice for the Jews, the visible sign of God's presence among the people. When Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, he was angered by the profane use of the temple. The animals sold for sacrifice were driven out, and the tables used by the money changers for collecting the temple tax were overturned. In the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) the cleansing of the temple is placed toward the end of their gospels during the last days of Jesus life. For these writers, this act was the key factor in Jesus being arrested and put to death (Mt 21:12-13; Mk 11:15-18; Lk 19:45-48). John placed the cleansing of the temple near the beginning of his gospel, at the start of Jesus' ministry. Like the Maccabee warriors, Jesus came to purify the temple to make it a suitable place for worship (1 Mc 4:37-59). The old institutions must give way to the new, and Jesus supplants them with the new covenant of Gods' grace and love. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. It would be replaced by the "new temple of God," the risen body of Jesus Christ in the Church.
REFLECTING: Am I willing to speak and act against injustice no matter what it may cost?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to show reverence and respect in your Father's House.
FIRST SCRUTINY FOR THE ELECT
On the Third Sunday of Lent, we celebrate the First Scrutiny and Exorcism for the Elect (RCIA, 150). In the Scrutiny Rites, those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil as well as the entire assembly are called to examine the areas in their lives where they thirst for God and need God's healing love. During the week the presentation of the creed is celebrated with the elect (RCIA, 157). The primary way that the Church assists those preparing for baptism (called the elect after the celebration of the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent) is through the celebration of the rites called Scrutinies. To scrutinize something means to examine it closely. These ritual celebrations are held on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. Where catechumens are present the readings are from the Gospel of John. On the Third Sunday we hear the story of the woman at the well and her thirst for God (Jn 4:4-42). The Scrutiny rites of Lent are communal prayers celebrated to strengthen the elect to overcome the power of sin in their lives and to grow in virtues. Since all of us are called to continual conversion throughout our lives, we join with the elect in scrutinizing our own lives and praying to God for the grace to overcome the power of sin that still has a hold on us, and to be strengthened in the virtues.
Sunday 8 March 2015
3rd Sunday of Lent. V.
Exodus 20:1-17. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life—Ps 18(19):8-11. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. John 2:13-25 [St John of God],
Exodus 20:1-17. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life—Ps 18(19):8-11. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. John 2:13-25 [St John of God],
‘God’s foolishness is wiser
than human wisdom.’
The readings today contrast
the wisdom of people with the wisdom of God. Paul speaks of the difficulty we
have understanding the transformation that is possible by moving through
suffering, as embodied in the ‘crucified Christ’.
It is often noted that
people who have suffered addiction develop a strong spiritual sense, as the
followers of the Twelve Steps will acknowledge. The gospel recounts Jesus’
clearing of the temple traders and his anger at their ‘turning my Father’s
house into a market’.
This story surely speaks to
us today about our use and misuse of resources meant for the good of all. The
wisdom of many governments and corporate bodies suggests that profit and
progress be placed above all other considerations. God’s wisdom is concerned
with fair distribution, justice and freedom for all and a world where peace,
not profit, reigns supreme. What can we do to help bring about God’s wisdom in
our daily lives?
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
|
Commanded to Love
|
Sin is a most serious matter. God has given us everything, even
sacrificing His only Son for us. He deserves all our love, as we say in the act
of contrition. We are commanded to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind,
and strength.
March
8
St. John of God
(1495-1550)
St. John of God
(1495-1550)
Having given up active Christian belief while a soldier, John was
40 before the depth of his sinfulness began to dawn on him. He decided to give
the rest of his life to God’s service, and headed at once for Africa, where he
hoped to free captive Christians and, possibly, be martyred.
He was
soon advised that his desire for martyrdom was not spiritually well based, and
returned to Spain and the relatively prosaic activity of a religious goods
store. Yet he was still not settled. Moved initially by a sermon of St.
John of Avila (May 10), he one day engaged in a public beating of himself,
begging mercy and wildly repenting for his past life.
Committed
to a mental hospital for these actions, John was visited by St. John, who
advised him to be more actively involved in tending to the needs of others
rather than in enduring personal hardships. John gained peace of heart, and
shortly after left the hospital to begin work among the poor.
He
established a house where he wisely tended to the needs of the sick poor, at first
doing his own begging. But excited by the saint’s great work and inspired by
his devotion, many people began to back him up with money and provisions. Among
them were the archbishop and marquis of Tarifa.
Behind
John’s outward acts of total concern and love for Christ’s sick poor was a deep
interior prayer life which was reflected in his spirit of humility. These
qualities attracted helpers who, 20 years after John’s death, formed the
Brothers Hospitallers, now a worldwide religious order.
John
became ill after 10 years of service but tried to disguise his ill health. He
began to put the hospital’s administrative work into order and appointed a
leader for his helpers. He died under the care of a spiritual friend and
admirer, Lady Ana Ossorio.
Stories:
The archbishop called John of God to him in response to a complaint that he was keeping tramps and immoral women in his hospital. In submission John fell on his knees and said: "The Son of Man came for sinners, and we are bound to seek their conversion. I am unfaithful to my vocation because I neglect this, but I confess that I know of no bad person in my hospital, except myself alone, who am indeed unworthy to eat the bread of the poor." The archbishop could only trust in John's sincerity and humility, and dismissed him with deep respect.
The archbishop called John of God to him in response to a complaint that he was keeping tramps and immoral women in his hospital. In submission John fell on his knees and said: "The Son of Man came for sinners, and we are bound to seek their conversion. I am unfaithful to my vocation because I neglect this, but I confess that I know of no bad person in my hospital, except myself alone, who am indeed unworthy to eat the bread of the poor." The archbishop could only trust in John's sincerity and humility, and dismissed him with deep respect.
Comment:
The utter humility of John of God, which led to a totally selfless dedication to others, is most impressive. Here is a man who realized his nothingness in the face of God. The Lord blessed him with the gifts of prudence, patience, courage, enthusiasm and the ability to influence and inspire others. He saw that in his early life he had turned away from the Lord, and, moved to receive his mercy, John began his new commitment to love others in openness to God’s love.
The utter humility of John of God, which led to a totally selfless dedication to others, is most impressive. Here is a man who realized his nothingness in the face of God. The Lord blessed him with the gifts of prudence, patience, courage, enthusiasm and the ability to influence and inspire others. He saw that in his early life he had turned away from the Lord, and, moved to receive his mercy, John began his new commitment to love others in openness to God’s love.
Quote:
The archbishop called John of God to him in response to a complaint that he was keeping tramps and immoral women in his hospital. In submission John fell on his knees and said: “The Son of Man came for sinners, and we are bound to seek their conversion. I am unfaithful to my vocation because I neglect this, but I confess that I know of no bad person in my hospital except myself alone, who am indeed unworthy to eat the bread of the poor.” The archbishop could only trust in John’s sincerity and humility, and dismissed him with deep respect.
The archbishop called John of God to him in response to a complaint that he was keeping tramps and immoral women in his hospital. In submission John fell on his knees and said: “The Son of Man came for sinners, and we are bound to seek their conversion. I am unfaithful to my vocation because I neglect this, but I confess that I know of no bad person in my hospital except myself alone, who am indeed unworthy to eat the bread of the poor.” The archbishop could only trust in John’s sincerity and humility, and dismissed him with deep respect.
Patron Saint of:
Booksellers
Firefighters
Heart patients
Hospitals
Nurses
Printers
Sick
Booksellers
Firefighters
Heart patients
Hospitals
Nurses
Printers
Sick
LECTIO DIVINA:
3RD SUNDAY OF LENT (B)
Lectio:
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The purification of the temple
Jesus, the new temple
John 2:13-25
Jesus, the new temple
John 2:13-25
1. Opening prayer
Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance.
Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance.
2. Reading
i) Context and structure:
Our passage follows immediately on the first sign that Jesus
gave in Cana of Galilee (2:1-12). Some expressions and phrases are repeated in
both scenes and lead us to think that the author wanted to contrast the two
scenes. In Cana, a village in Galilee, during a wedding feast, a Jewish woman,
the mother of Jesus, expresses her unconditional faith in Jesus and invites
others to accept his word (2:3-5). On the other hand, "the Jews",
during the Paschal celebration in Jerusalem, refuse to believe in Jesus and do
not accept his word. In Cana, Jesus worked his first sign (2:11) and here the
Jews ask for a sign (v.18) but then do not accept the sign Jesus gives them
(2:20).
The development of our little story is quite simple. Verse 13 places in a framework a context of space and time that is very precise and significant: Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Paschal feast. Verse 14 introduces the scene that provokes a strong reaction on the part of Jesus. Jesus’ action is described in verse 15 and is caused by Jesus himself in verse 16. Jesus’ action and words in turn provoke two reactions. First, that of the disciples, one of admiration (v.17); secondly, that of the "Jews", one of dissent and indignation (v.18). They want an explanation from Jesus (v.19) but they are not open to receive this(v.20). At this point the narrator intervenes to interpret Jesus’ words authentically (v.21). "The Jews" cannot understand the real meaning of Jesus’ word. However, also the disciples, who admire him as a prophet full of zeal for God, cannot grasp the meaning now. It is only after the fulfilment that they will believe in Jesus’ word (v22). Finally, the narrator offers us a brief account of Jesus’ reception by the crowds in Jerusalem (vv.23-25). Yet, this faith, founded only on his signs, does not enthuse Jesus.
The development of our little story is quite simple. Verse 13 places in a framework a context of space and time that is very precise and significant: Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Paschal feast. Verse 14 introduces the scene that provokes a strong reaction on the part of Jesus. Jesus’ action is described in verse 15 and is caused by Jesus himself in verse 16. Jesus’ action and words in turn provoke two reactions. First, that of the disciples, one of admiration (v.17); secondly, that of the "Jews", one of dissent and indignation (v.18). They want an explanation from Jesus (v.19) but they are not open to receive this(v.20). At this point the narrator intervenes to interpret Jesus’ words authentically (v.21). "The Jews" cannot understand the real meaning of Jesus’ word. However, also the disciples, who admire him as a prophet full of zeal for God, cannot grasp the meaning now. It is only after the fulfilment that they will believe in Jesus’ word (v22). Finally, the narrator offers us a brief account of Jesus’ reception by the crowds in Jerusalem (vv.23-25). Yet, this faith, founded only on his signs, does not enthuse Jesus.
ii) The text:
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24 but Jesus did not trust himself to them, 25 because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; you shall not make my Father's house a house of trade." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for thy house will consume me." 18 The Jews then said to him, "What sign have you to show us for doing this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24 but Jesus did not trust himself to them, 25 because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.
3. A moment of prayerful silence
so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. Some questions
i) Am I able to trust myself completely in God’s hands in an act
of faith or do I ask for signs?
ii) God gives me many signs of his presence in my life. Am I capable of seeing and accepting them?
iii) Am I satisfied with exterior worship or do I try to offer God the worship of my obedience in my daily life?
iv) Who is Jesus for me? Am I aware that only in him and through him is it possible to meet God?
ii) God gives me many signs of his presence in my life. Am I capable of seeing and accepting them?
iii) Am I satisfied with exterior worship or do I try to offer God the worship of my obedience in my daily life?
iv) Who is Jesus for me? Am I aware that only in him and through him is it possible to meet God?
5. A key to the reading
for those who wish to go deeper into the theme.
"The Jews"
John’s Gospel is characterised by a long argument concerning the
identity of Jesus. In this Christological argument, on the one hand we have
Jesus and on the other "the Jews". But this argument, rather than
reflecting the historical situation at the time of Jesus, reflects the
situation which developed towards the 80s of the first century between the
followers of Jesus and the Jews who had not accepted him as the Son of God and
Messiah. It is certain that the conflict had already begun at the time of
Jesus, but the gap between the two groups, both of whom were Jews, became set
when those who did not accept Jesus as Son of God and Messiah and held him to
be a blasphemer, expelled the disciples of Jesus from the synagogue, that is,
from the community of Jewish believers (see Jn 9:22; 12:42; 16:2).
Hence, "the Jews" that we often come across in the fourth Gospel, do not represent the Jewish people. They are literary characters in the Christological argument that evolves in this Gospel. They do not represent a race, but those who have taken the clear position of an absolute rejection of Jesus. In any reading of the Gospel, "the Jews" are all those who refuse Jesus, no matter what the race or time to which they belong.
Hence, "the Jews" that we often come across in the fourth Gospel, do not represent the Jewish people. They are literary characters in the Christological argument that evolves in this Gospel. They do not represent a race, but those who have taken the clear position of an absolute rejection of Jesus. In any reading of the Gospel, "the Jews" are all those who refuse Jesus, no matter what the race or time to which they belong.
The signs
The healings and other thaumaturgical acts of Jesus that the
synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew and Luke) call miracles or prodigies, John
calls signs. As signs, they point to something that goes beyond the visible
action. They reveal the mystery of Jesus. Thus, for instance, the healing of
the man born blind reveals Jesus as light of the world (Jn 8:12; 9:1-41), the
raising of Lazarus from the dead reveals Jesus as the resurrection and the life
(see Jn 11:1-45).
In our passage, "the Jews" ask for a sign in the sense of a proof that will authenticate the words and actions of Jesus. But in the fourth Gospel, Jesus does not work signs as proof guaranteeing faith. A faith founded on signs is not sufficient. It is only an initial faith that may lead to true faith (see Jn 20:30-31), but may also not do so (see Jn 6:26).
John’s Gospel asks us to go beyond signs, not to dwell on the spectacular, but to see the deepest meaning in the revelation that the signs point to.
In our passage, "the Jews" ask for a sign in the sense of a proof that will authenticate the words and actions of Jesus. But in the fourth Gospel, Jesus does not work signs as proof guaranteeing faith. A faith founded on signs is not sufficient. It is only an initial faith that may lead to true faith (see Jn 20:30-31), but may also not do so (see Jn 6:26).
John’s Gospel asks us to go beyond signs, not to dwell on the spectacular, but to see the deepest meaning in the revelation that the signs point to.
Jesus, new temple
The temple in Jerusalem was the place of the presence of God in
the midst of the people. Yet the prophets constantly insisted that it was not
sufficient to go to the temple and offer sacrifices there in order to be
accepted by God (see Is 1:10-17; Jer 7:1-28; Am 4:4-5; 5:21-27). God wants
obedience and a life morally straight and just. If the exterior cult does not
express such a vital attitude, then it is empty (see 1 Sam 15:22). Jesus
inserts himself in that prophetic tradition of the purification of the cult
(see Za 14:23 and Mi 3:1 for the action of the coming "Messiah" in
this context). The disciples admire him for this and immediately think that for
this attitude he will have to pay personally like Jeremiah (see Jer 26:1-15)
and other prophets. But in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ action is more than just a
prophetic gesture of zeal for God. It is a sign that prefigures and proclaims
the great sign of the death and resurrection of Jesus. More than just a
purification, that which Jesus does is to abolish the temple and the cult there
celebrated, because from now on the place of the presence of God is the
glorified body of Jesus (see Jn 1:51; 4:23).
6. Psalm 50
The cult according to God’s will
The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes, he does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
round about him a mighty tempest.
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes, he does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
round about him a mighty tempest.
He calls to the heavens above and to the earth,
that he may judge his people:
"Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge!
that he may judge his people:
"Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge!
"Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will accept no bull from your house,
nor he-goat from your folds.
O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
I do not reprove you for your sacrifices;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.
I will accept no bull from your house,
nor he-goat from your folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
"If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the air,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
"If I were hungry, I would not tell you;
for the world and all that is in it is mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High;
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and pay your vows to the Most High;
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
But to the wicked God says:
"What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
"What right have you to recite my statutes,
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are a friend of his;
and you keep company with adulterers.
"You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
and you keep company with adulterers.
"You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
you slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
"Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I rend,
and there be none to deliver!
He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honours me;
to him who orders his way aright
I will show the salvation of God!"
and there be none to deliver!
He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honours me;
to him who orders his way aright
I will show the salvation of God!"
7. Closing prayer
Father, you have constituted your Son, Jesus, new temple of the
new and eternal alliance, built not by the hands of human beings but by the
Holy Spirit. Grant that, as we welcome in faith his Word, we may dwell in him
and thus adore you in spirit and in truth. Open our eyes to the needs of our
brothers and sisters who are the members of the body of Christ, so that in
serving them we may offer you the cult that you desire from us. We ask you this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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