Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In the middle of today’s gospel, we have the cleansing of the Temple. Jesus arrives at the Temple in Jerusalem, and, not liking what he is seeing, he throws a small personal riot. He overturns the tables of the money changers and the sellers of doves and chases out all of those dealing in buying and selling rather than in spiritual things. His explanation for this activity: “Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples, but you have made it a den of thieves.” He is offended that people are not properly focused on the purpose of the temple but are instead intent on buying and selling.
What we should recognize is that the cleansing of the Temple is not something that happened once a long time ago. Rather, this cleansing is still ongoing. St. Paul tells us (1 Cor 3:16-17) that we are the temple of God. All of us who are disciples of Christ are bricks in God’s new temple. And so many of the disturbances that occur in our lives are Jesus still trying to shake things up and make his temple into what it should be. Jesus tells us (Mt 6:33), “seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given you besides.” God knows we need material things, but He wants us to have our priorities straight: the Kingdom of God first in our lives.
Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections