Present in Our Temple

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary ask us to consider the response of people to the faithfulness and steadfast love of God. (Psalm 85). Ezekiel reveals the vision of the restored Temple in Jerusalem where the glory of the Presence of God with the people will be the sign of the faithfulness of God to the Promise to be with the people. The promise to Ezekiel that the people would no longer defame the name of God by their actions turns out to be more a statement of hope and forgiveness than the forecast of behaviour of people. The Gospel of Matthew details Jesus advice concerning spiritual leaders who may not be living the Way. The practices and the authority over which they preside are routed in the Tradition and are valuable for spiritual growth. The lifestyle of self aggrandizement and selfishness is not the behaviour where the indwelling Spirit resonates with the Spirit of God. Our life in Jesus is the guide to living with patience, compassion and forgiveness towards those who perhaps should know better!