Third Sunday of Lent
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."
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 2 1 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.
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 Scripture 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 heavenly sanctuary
(Hebrews 10:19).
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; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Do you recognize the indwelling presence of God within you through 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; 2 Corinthians 6:16). Do you recognize the indwelling presence of God within you through 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."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Jesus cleanses the temple - his Father's
house, by John Chrysostom (347-407
AD)
"But why did Christ use such violence? He was about to heal on the sabbath day and to do many things that appeared to them transgressions of the law. However, so that he might not appear to be acting as a rival to God and an opponent of his Father, he takes occasion to correct any such suspicion of theirs... He did not merely 'cast them out' but also 'overturned the tables' and 'poured out the money,' so that they could see how someone who threw himself into such danger for the good order of the house could never despise his master. If he had acted out of hypocrisy, he would have only advised them, but to place himself in such danger was very daring. It was no small thing to offer himself to the anger of so many market people or to excite against himself a most brutal mob of petty dealers by his reproaches and the disruption he caused. This was not, in other words, the action of a pretender but of one choosing to suffer everything for the order of the house. For the same reason, to show his agreement with the Father, he did not say 'the holy house' but 'my Father's house.' See how he even calls him 'Father,' and they are not angry with him. They thought he spoke in a more general way, but when he went on and spoke more plainly of his equality, this is when they become angry."(excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.2)
"But why did Christ use such violence? He was about to heal on the sabbath day and to do many things that appeared to them transgressions of the law. However, so that he might not appear to be acting as a rival to God and an opponent of his Father, he takes occasion to correct any such suspicion of theirs... He did not merely 'cast them out' but also 'overturned the tables' and 'poured out the money,' so that they could see how someone who threw himself into such danger for the good order of the house could never despise his master. If he had acted out of hypocrisy, he would have only advised them, but to place himself in such danger was very daring. It was no small thing to offer himself to the anger of so many market people or to excite against himself a most brutal mob of petty dealers by his reproaches and the disruption he caused. This was not, in other words, the action of a pretender but of one choosing to suffer everything for the order of the house. For the same reason, to show his agreement with the Father, he did not say 'the holy house' but 'my Father's house.' See how he even calls him 'Father,' and they are not angry with him. They thought he spoke in a more general way, but when he went on and spoke more plainly of his equality, this is when they become angry."(excerpt from HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 23.2)
3rd Sunday of Lent – Cycle B
Note: The readings given for Cycle A may be used in place of the Cycle B readings.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Exodus 20:1-17
Our first reading today is the giving of the ten commandments. The time is three months after the Israelites left on their exodus from Egypt. During this three months they have come to a place called Marah (the name means “bitter”) which had bitter water; the people grumbled against Moses, then God has Moses cast a piece of wood into the water and it becomes sweet.
From there they go into the Desert of Sin where the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they are hungry; then Moses and Aaron tell the people of the food which will be provided and God gives them manna and quail (Numbers 11 tells us that the quail poisoned those who continued to grumble).
Next, they went to Rephidim where the people quarreled with Moses because there was no water. Moses says to them “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the Test?;” and God tells Moses to strike the rock at Horeb (Sinai) with his staff and water flows.
Then they are attacked by the Amalekites and defeat them (they win as long as Moses’ hands are up, so Aaron and Hur hold his hands up). After the battle Jethro [Moses’ father-in-law and a priest of Midian (an Arabian nomadic tribe)] visits and convinces Moses to appoint representatives among the people so that every time there is a dispute, Moses doesn’t have to personally resolve it.
Now, they have entered the Desert of Sinai and are camped at the base of Mount Sinai. To best understand the context of today’s first reading, we will begin reading at Exodus 19:3 and continue through the prescribed reading.
19:3 Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; 4 tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. 5 Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. 6 You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.” 7 So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the LORD had ordered him to tell them, 8 the people all answered together, “Everything the LORD has said, we will do.” Then Moses brought back to the LORD the response of the people. 9 The LORD also told him, “I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also.” When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, 10 the LORD added, “Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12 Set limits for the people all around the mountain, and tell them: Take care not to go up the mountain, or even to touch its base. If anyone touches the mountain, he must be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him; he must be stoned to death or killed with arrows. Such a one, man or beast, must not be allowed to live. Only when the ram’s horn resounds may they go up to the mountain.” 14 Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and had them sanctify themselves and wash their garments. 15 He warned them, “Be ready for the third day. Have no intercourse with any woman.” 16 On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the LORD came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answering him with thunder. 20 When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up to him. 21 Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through toward the LORD in order to see him; otherwise many of them will be struck down. 22 The priests, too, who approach the LORD must sanctify themselves; else he will vent his anger upon them.” 23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot go up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us to set limits around the mountain to make it sacred.” 24 The LORD repeated, “Go down now! Then come up again along with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD; else he will vent his anger upon them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them this. 20:1 Then God delivered all these commandments:
The stone tablets don’t come until Exodus 31:18 (11 chapters later). Notice that the commandments aren’t numbered. Anglican, Greek, and Reformed traditions count the prohibitions against false worship as two, while combining the ones about coveting the neighbor’s goods and wife. Lutheran and Catholic traditions count the prohibitions against false worship as one and separately count the coveting of goods and wife. Modern Jews count “I, the LORD, am your God” as the first, combine the prohibitions against false worship and also combine the ones against coveting. The end result in all cases is that there are ten commandments and all the prohibitions are contained therein; no commandment has been left out.
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;
This does not prohibit the use of statues, just those which are worshiped. Excavations of pagan shrines have revealed several images of gods within them. Since God has led the Israelites from Egypt (where they worshiped goats, bulls and lambs alongside the Egyptians) He has defeated these pagan gods and has shown Himself superior. If this were a prohibition against all images, God wouldn’t have directed the making of cherubim (Exodus 25:18) or pomegranates (Exodus 28:33) or a serpent (Numbers 21:8); to name but a few examples.
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.
This does not refer just to cussing. Swearing an oath (“I swear to God,” “With God as my witness,” “so help me God”) when not telling the truth is also using 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.
So far as has been discovered, the Sabbath is a peculiarly Israelite institution. The rhythm of time was created along with everything else in the first week (Genesis 1:1-2:3). This is the only commandment where lapse of memory results in mortal sin.
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.
In the traditional and largely oral society of the Israelites, elders were respected as the repositories of tradition. Parents also depended upon their children to care for them in old age (instead of Social Security and Medicare). This is the only commandment with a reward.
13 “You shall not kill.
Human life is sacred, murder is forbidden. Killing in battle or by capital punishment is not the issue here, both of these are approved in Exodus 21:12-17 and Deuteronomy 20:1-14.
14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal.
Some commentators say this commandment not to steal refers to kidnapping as normal theft is covered by the 9th commandment (10th commandment as some groups number them). They say that this commandment prohibits the enslavement of a free Israelite by force, whether for personal use or for trade.
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.”
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
The Corinthian church was divided [I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Cephas, I follow Christ (1 Corinthians1:12)]. Believers must detach themselves from the standards of fallen humanity (which is the cause of the divisions in the Corinthian church) if they are to understand the way God relates to them. God, through His Son, Jesus, established only one Church and we are not free to pick and choose what we will accept and what we won’t.
22 Jews demand signs
The Jews expected, and even demanded, signs (spectacular miracles that showed divine intervention). They looked for a messiah who would inaugurate their nation’s sovereignty over the Gentiles by a display of miraculous power.
and Greeks look for wisdom,
The Greeks searched for philosophies that pretended to give a satisfactory explanation of man and the cosmos.
“The Jews seek signs because they do not reject the possibility that things like this can happen. What they want to know is whether it has actually occurred, like Aaron’s rod, which sprouted and bore fruit (see Numbers 17:8), and Jonah who spent three days and nights in the belly of the whale before being spewed out alive (Jonah 1:17-2:10). But the Greeks seek wisdom, refusing to believe anything which does not accord with human reason.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews
Deuteronomy 21:23 says that a man who is hanged on a tree is cursed by God. This man Jesus, whom the Christians proclaim, not only did not overthrow the Romans, He was hung on a cross (a tree) like a common criminal.
and foolishness to Gentiles,
No way can they rationalize this man to be what the Christians claim.
“Since the world had become puffed up by the vanity of its dogmas, the Lord set in place the faith whereby the believers would be saved by what seemed unworthy and foolish, so that, all human conjecture being of no avail, only the grace of God might reveal what the human mind cannot take in.” [Pope Saint Leo the Great (after A.D. 461), Sermons].
24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Even though the gospel is addressed to all, only some will have the grace to accept it. Man believes because God calls him (Romans 9:16), man must put aside his selfishness to accept the call. In Christ, crucified and risen, God reveals to the called (the members of His Church) His wisdom and His saving acts.
“When Jews believe in Christ, they understand that He is the power of God. When Greeks believe in Him, they understand that He is the wisdom of God. He is God’s power because the Father does everything through Him. He is God’s wisdom because God is known through Him. It would not be possible for God to be known through anyone who was not from Him in the first place. No one has seen the Father except the Son and whomever the Son has chosen to reveal Him to.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384),
Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
God’s ways are not man’s ways.
The verse of this reading which says “but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” is the reason why the Catholic Church displays a crucifix rather than an empty cross. It is not because we do not worship the resurrected Christ, but because the Scriptures tell us that we must recognize that without the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection.
Deuteronomy 21:23 says that a man who is hanged on a tree is cursed by God and Jesus truly bore that curse for all mankind. In Genesis 2:16-17 we read “The LORD God gave man this order: ‘You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.’” Adam was in a covenant relationship with his creator, and the curse of disobedience in that relationship was death (spiritual death as well as physical death). His single act of disobedience closed heaven for all mankind until the perfect sacrifice could be offered “‘Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.’ The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22-24).
Like the lamb of the Passover meal, Jesus was blameless and unblemished; only He could offer this one perfect sacrifice which would restore man’s covenant relationship with God and open heaven so that we can approach God and have our sins forgiven and forgotten. At the moment of His death on the altar of the cross, heaven was opened. This was indicated to all by the tearing of the temple veil, the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38: Luke 23:45). “[J]ust as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19).
The crucifix, which depicts this once for all sacrifice, becomes for us the tree of life as we are reminded that we can approach God, have our sins forgiven and forgotten, and join with Him in the sacrificial banquet which renews our covenant relationship with Him. Just as in the original Passover, we must eat the sacrifice (the Eucharist) if we are to live.
Note: The readings given for Cycle A may be used in place of the Cycle B readings.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Exodus 20:1-17
Our first reading today is the giving of the ten commandments. The time is three months after the Israelites left on their exodus from Egypt. During this three months they have come to a place called Marah (the name means “bitter”) which had bitter water; the people grumbled against Moses, then God has Moses cast a piece of wood into the water and it becomes sweet.
From there they go into the Desert of Sin where the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they are hungry; then Moses and Aaron tell the people of the food which will be provided and God gives them manna and quail (Numbers 11 tells us that the quail poisoned those who continued to grumble).
Next, they went to Rephidim where the people quarreled with Moses because there was no water. Moses says to them “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the Test?;” and God tells Moses to strike the rock at Horeb (Sinai) with his staff and water flows.
Then they are attacked by the Amalekites and defeat them (they win as long as Moses’ hands are up, so Aaron and Hur hold his hands up). After the battle Jethro [Moses’ father-in-law and a priest of Midian (an Arabian nomadic tribe)] visits and convinces Moses to appoint representatives among the people so that every time there is a dispute, Moses doesn’t have to personally resolve it.
Now, they have entered the Desert of Sinai and are camped at the base of Mount Sinai. To best understand the context of today’s first reading, we will begin reading at Exodus 19:3 and continue through the prescribed reading.
19:3 Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; 4 tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. 5 Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. 6 You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.” 7 So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people. When he set before them all that the LORD had ordered him to tell them, 8 the people all answered together, “Everything the LORD has said, we will do.” Then Moses brought back to the LORD the response of the people. 9 The LORD also told him, “I am coming to you in a dense cloud, so that when the people hear me speaking with you, they may always have faith in you also.” When Moses, then, had reported to the LORD the response of the people, 10 the LORD added, “Go to the people and have them sanctify themselves today and tomorrow. Make them wash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people. 12 Set limits for the people all around the mountain, and tell them: Take care not to go up the mountain, or even to touch its base. If anyone touches the mountain, he must be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him; he must be stoned to death or killed with arrows. Such a one, man or beast, must not be allowed to live. Only when the ram’s horn resounds may they go up to the mountain.” 14 Then Moses came down from the mountain to the people and had them sanctify themselves and wash their garments. 15 He warned them, “Be ready for the third day. Have no intercourse with any woman.” 16 On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the LORD came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from it as though from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 The trumpet blast grew louder and louder, while Moses was speaking and God answering him with thunder. 20 When the LORD came down to the top of Mount Sinai, he summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up to him. 21 Then the LORD told Moses, “Go down and warn the people not to break through toward the LORD in order to see him; otherwise many of them will be struck down. 22 The priests, too, who approach the LORD must sanctify themselves; else he will vent his anger upon them.” 23 Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot go up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us to set limits around the mountain to make it sacred.” 24 The LORD repeated, “Go down now! Then come up again along with Aaron. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD; else he will vent his anger upon them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them this. 20:1 Then God delivered all these commandments:
The stone tablets don’t come until Exodus 31:18 (11 chapters later). Notice that the commandments aren’t numbered. Anglican, Greek, and Reformed traditions count the prohibitions against false worship as two, while combining the ones about coveting the neighbor’s goods and wife. Lutheran and Catholic traditions count the prohibitions against false worship as one and separately count the coveting of goods and wife. Modern Jews count “I, the LORD, am your God” as the first, combine the prohibitions against false worship and also combine the ones against coveting. The end result in all cases is that there are ten commandments and all the prohibitions are contained therein; no commandment has been left out.
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;
This does not prohibit the use of statues, just those which are worshiped. Excavations of pagan shrines have revealed several images of gods within them. Since God has led the Israelites from Egypt (where they worshiped goats, bulls and lambs alongside the Egyptians) He has defeated these pagan gods and has shown Himself superior. If this were a prohibition against all images, God wouldn’t have directed the making of cherubim (Exodus 25:18) or pomegranates (Exodus 28:33) or a serpent (Numbers 21:8); to name but a few examples.
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.
This does not refer just to cussing. Swearing an oath (“I swear to God,” “With God as my witness,” “so help me God”) when not telling the truth is also using 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.
So far as has been discovered, the Sabbath is a peculiarly Israelite institution. The rhythm of time was created along with everything else in the first week (Genesis 1:1-2:3). This is the only commandment where lapse of memory results in mortal sin.
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.
In the traditional and largely oral society of the Israelites, elders were respected as the repositories of tradition. Parents also depended upon their children to care for them in old age (instead of Social Security and Medicare). This is the only commandment with a reward.
13 “You shall not kill.
Human life is sacred, murder is forbidden. Killing in battle or by capital punishment is not the issue here, both of these are approved in Exodus 21:12-17 and Deuteronomy 20:1-14.
14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal.
Some commentators say this commandment not to steal refers to kidnapping as normal theft is covered by the 9th commandment (10th commandment as some groups number them). They say that this commandment prohibits the enslavement of a free Israelite by force, whether for personal use or for trade.
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.”
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
The Corinthian church was divided [I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, I follow Cephas, I follow Christ (1 Corinthians1:12)]. Believers must detach themselves from the standards of fallen humanity (which is the cause of the divisions in the Corinthian church) if they are to understand the way God relates to them. God, through His Son, Jesus, established only one Church and we are not free to pick and choose what we will accept and what we won’t.
22 Jews demand signs
The Jews expected, and even demanded, signs (spectacular miracles that showed divine intervention). They looked for a messiah who would inaugurate their nation’s sovereignty over the Gentiles by a display of miraculous power.
and Greeks look for wisdom,
The Greeks searched for philosophies that pretended to give a satisfactory explanation of man and the cosmos.
“The Jews seek signs because they do not reject the possibility that things like this can happen. What they want to know is whether it has actually occurred, like Aaron’s rod, which sprouted and bore fruit (see Numbers 17:8), and Jonah who spent three days and nights in the belly of the whale before being spewed out alive (Jonah 1:17-2:10). But the Greeks seek wisdom, refusing to believe anything which does not accord with human reason.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews
Deuteronomy 21:23 says that a man who is hanged on a tree is cursed by God. This man Jesus, whom the Christians proclaim, not only did not overthrow the Romans, He was hung on a cross (a tree) like a common criminal.
and foolishness to Gentiles,
No way can they rationalize this man to be what the Christians claim.
“Since the world had become puffed up by the vanity of its dogmas, the Lord set in place the faith whereby the believers would be saved by what seemed unworthy and foolish, so that, all human conjecture being of no avail, only the grace of God might reveal what the human mind cannot take in.” [Pope Saint Leo the Great (after A.D. 461), Sermons].
24 but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Even though the gospel is addressed to all, only some will have the grace to accept it. Man believes because God calls him (Romans 9:16), man must put aside his selfishness to accept the call. In Christ, crucified and risen, God reveals to the called (the members of His Church) His wisdom and His saving acts.
“When Jews believe in Christ, they understand that He is the power of God. When Greeks believe in Him, they understand that He is the wisdom of God. He is God’s power because the Father does everything through Him. He is God’s wisdom because God is known through Him. It would not be possible for God to be known through anyone who was not from Him in the first place. No one has seen the Father except the Son and whomever the Son has chosen to reveal Him to.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384),
Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
God’s ways are not man’s ways.
The verse of this reading which says “but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” is the reason why the Catholic Church displays a crucifix rather than an empty cross. It is not because we do not worship the resurrected Christ, but because the Scriptures tell us that we must recognize that without the crucifixion, there would have been no resurrection.
Deuteronomy 21:23 says that a man who is hanged on a tree is cursed by God and Jesus truly bore that curse for all mankind. In Genesis 2:16-17 we read “The LORD God gave man this order: ‘You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and bad. From that tree you shall not eat; the moment you eat from it you are surely doomed to die.’” Adam was in a covenant relationship with his creator, and the curse of disobedience in that relationship was death (spiritual death as well as physical death). His single act of disobedience closed heaven for all mankind until the perfect sacrifice could be offered “‘Therefore, he must not be allowed to put out his hand to take fruit from the tree of life also, and thus eat of it and live forever.’ The LORD God therefore banished him from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he had been taken. When he expelled the man, he settled him east of the garden of Eden; and he stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22-24).
Like the lamb of the Passover meal, Jesus was blameless and unblemished; only He could offer this one perfect sacrifice which would restore man’s covenant relationship with God and open heaven so that we can approach God and have our sins forgiven and forgotten. At the moment of His death on the altar of the cross, heaven was opened. This was indicated to all by the tearing of the temple veil, the curtain which separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38: Luke 23:45). “[J]ust as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all. For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19).
The crucifix, which depicts this once for all sacrifice, becomes for us the tree of life as we are reminded that we can approach God, have our sins forgiven and forgotten, and join with Him in the sacrificial banquet which renews our covenant relationship with Him. Just as in the original Passover, we must eat the sacrifice (the Eucharist) if we are to live.
Gospel - John 2:13-25
The time is two years before Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. This is His first trip to Jerusalem and the Temple since the start of His public ministry. There is a parallel account of the cleansing of the Temple in the synoptic gospels which occurs during passion week (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48). Many commentators believe that this incident is a separate one from the parallel account and I agree.
13 Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
This is the first of three Passover celebrations mentioned in John’s gospel; the second is at the feeding of the five thousand and the third is at Jesus’ passion.
14 He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
Various sacrificial animals were for sale at the Temple so that the pilgrims would not have the inconvenience of bringing their own.
as well as the money-changers seated there.
The only money accepted at the Temple was the Tyrian half-shekel. Roman coins could not be used. Both the sellers and the coin changers performed a necessary function – if they conducted their endeavors honestly.
15 He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
Since the number of animals and changers must have been large, the whip probably served as a symbol of authority rather than an instrument for inflicting punishment. He may also have had the assistance of His disciples in this endeavor.
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.”
The sacrificial system of Judaism has turned the Temple into a marketplace rather than a house of worship.
17 His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Quotes Psalm 69:10. “Recalling the words” (remembering) is a technical term in John for the process by which the community came to see Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture after the resurrection.
18 At this the Jews answered
Most likely the Temple authorities,
and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Demands for “signs” are continually being made of Jesus. In this case, the requested sign appears to be to clear up the issue of “by whose authority” does Jesus act.
19 Jesus answered and said to them, * “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
Although they don’t recognize it as such now, the “sign” which tells them by whose authority He speaks, will be His resurrection.
20 The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”
Taken literally, Jesus’ saying is absurd. Herod had begun the Temple about 20 B.C. (16 B.C. if Jesus is 30 at this point). Work continued until about A.D. 62 (a period of some 82 years) when the Jewish revolt started.
21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
This is the work of the evangelist – clarifying the symbolic meaning of Jesus’ saying: The new Temple will be Jesus’ resurrected 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.
The gospels frequently testify that the full significance of Jesus’ words and deeds were only understood in the light of the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words refer as much to the Church as they do to the resurrection.
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.
In Semitic usage the “name” is equivalent to the person. Faith is not simply the acceptance of a proposition, it is commitment to a person.
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.
A faith based merely on miracles without a proper recognition of the nature of Him who performed them would prove to be unstable and inconsistent.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church,
Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY, MARCH 4, JOHN 2:13-23
SUNDAY, MARCH 4, JOHN 2:13-23
(Exodus 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17; Psalm 19; I Corinthians 1:22-25)
KEY VERSE: "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up" (v.20).
TO KNOW: 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 mercy. 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.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to speak and act against injustice no matter what it may cost?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to show reverence and respect in your Father's House.
FIRST SCRUTINY OF THE ELECT -
EXAMINING OUR LIVES
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 those preparing for baptism (called the elect after the celebration of the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent, RCIA, 157). The primary way that the Church assists the elect 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).
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 those preparing for baptism (called the elect after the celebration of the Rite of Election on the First Sunday of Lent, RCIA, 157). The primary way that the Church assists the elect 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).
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT, FIRST
SCRUTINY, JOHN 4:4-42
(Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8)
(Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8)
KEY VERSE: "The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life" (v.14).
TO KNOW: Jesus offered life-giving water to all who thirsted for God. Perhaps the Samaritan woman at the well was nameless as she represents each person who Jesus personally encounters. St. Augustine said, "It was for you that Jesus was weary from the journey." The woman who met Jesus at the well was despised as a heretical Samaritan, descendants of the Assyrian occupation. With their mixed Jewish and pagan beliefs, Samaritans were regarded as unfit to worship in the Temple in Jerusalem, so the Samaritans built their own Temple on Mt. Gerizim. Jesus looked beyond national and religious boundaries to the coming of the Spirit who would unite all believers in worship of one God. At first, the woman was suspicious of Jesus and argumentative, but as he revealed her inner need, the woman changed her attitude. She addressed him as "sir" and then as "prophet," but as the woman gradually recognized Jesus as the Messiah, she finally saw him as her personal Savior. Leaving her empty water jar behind (a symbol of her arid life), the woman ran off to tell the people in the village that she found the Lord. Many believed on the strength of the woman's testimony. Meanwhile, Jesus' disciples had gone to the city to buy food. When they returned, he asked them to pray for others, who, like the woman, would harvest the ripe field of souls that lay before them.
TO LOVE: Have I shared Christ's life-giving water with others this Lent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, increase my thirst for you.
Sunday 4 March
2018
Week III Psalter. Third Sunday of Lent. St Casimir.
Exodus 20:1-17. Psalm 18(19):8-11. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25. John
2:13-25.
Lord, you have the words of everlasting life—Psalm
18(19):8-11.
He was speaking of the temple of his body.’
The Gospel recounts Jesus’ clearing of the temple traders and
his anger at their ‘turning [his] Father’s house into a market’. He hopes to
restore his father’s house to a place of prayer for all peoples.
Jesus soon instructs those listening to him that if they were to
‘destroy this temple’ he will raise it up in three
days. Here he is using a provocative reference to prefigure his own death and
resurrection. His body will be destroyed as he takes upon
himself all the violence humanity is capable of. He will not transmit the
trauma of the cross; he will transform it with love. His body will be raised up
in three days. Jesus will be a temple of God’s presence for all time, a sign of
hope in our darkest night.
Saint Casimir
Saint of the Day for March 4
(1458 – 1483)
 |
| Reliquary of Saint Casimir/Vilnios Cathedral/Photo by Albertus teolog. |
Saint Casimir’s Story
Casimir, born of kings and in line to be a king himself, was
filled with exceptional values and learning by a great teacher, John Dlugosz.
Even his critics could not say that his conscientious objection indicated
softness. As a teenager, Casimir lived a highly disciplined, even severe life,
sleeping on the ground, spending a great part of the night in prayer and
dedicating himself to lifelong celibacy.
When nobles in Hungary became dissatisfied with their king, they
prevailed upon Casimir’s father, the king of Poland, to send his son to take
over the country. Casimir obeyed his father, as many young men over the
centuries have obeyed their governments. The army he was supposed to lead was
clearly outnumbered by the “enemy”; some of his troops were deserting because
they were not paid. At the advice of his officers, Casimir decided to return
home.
His father was irked at the failure of his plans, and confined
his 15-year-old son for three months. The lad made up his mind never again to
become involved in the wars of his day, and no amount of persuasion could
change his mind. He returned to prayer and study, maintaining his decision to
remain celibate even under pressure to marry the emperor’s daughter.
He reigned briefly as king of Poland during his father’s
absence. He died of lung trouble at 25 while visiting Lithuania, of which he
was also Grand Duke. He was buried in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Reflection
For many years, Poland and Lithuania faded into the gray prison
on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Despite repression, the Poles and
Lithuanians remained firm in the faith which has become synonymous with their
name. Their youthful patron reminds us: Peace is not won by war; sometimes a
comfortable peace is not even won by virtue, but Christ’s peace can penetrate
every government repression of religion.
Saint Casimir is the Patron Saint of:
Lithuania
Poland
Russia
Poland
Russia
LECTIO DIVINA: 3RD SUNDAY OF
LENT (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, March 4, 2018
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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