9-Nov-15

Gospel JN 2:13-22
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.
Reflection:
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The "temple" that Jesus was speaking of was the temple of his body which housed the very spirit of God our Father.
St. Paul tells us that we too are a temple of God: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?" Corinthians 6:19
We should never be overly impressed with magnificent structures. For the most beautiful church that exists is simply a building which you, "the temple of God," comes to and pays homage to your Lord.
This year, I had the exhilarating experience of climbing the bell tower of the Basilica at the University of Notre Dame. Along with my family, I also had the amazing opportunity to visit Rome, Assisi and Florence, Italy. We gazed with wonder at St. Peter's Basilica and scores of other churches that were built many centuries ago.
But, as I wandered the halls and bent my neck to scan the arches, I kept thinking of the words of Jesus, "Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days."
Christ's enemies responded, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”
How Jesus must have shook his head at their arrogance. They were talking about buildings of mortar and stone, and he was speaking of flesh and blood,
"Forty-six years?"
Two thousand years have passed and still man has never created a human being from dust.
We carry God's spirit within us wherever we go, God travels within each woman as she browses the aisles of the market to feed her family. He lives within the line worker as he climbs the pole to earn a living. He runs down the soccer field within each child who shoots for the goal.
What grand edifice, what manmade church, can compare with the wonder of the re-creation of God in His own image?
"So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them."
Genesis 1:27