The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the sacred and mystical experience of joining together as Church.
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In the passage from the Book of Ezekiel the prophet describes a vision of life giving water flowing from the Temple.
* [47:1–12] The life and refreshment produced wherever the Temple stream flows evoke the order and abundance of paradise (cf. Gn 1:20–22; 2:10–14; Ps 46:5) and represent the coming transformation Ezekiel envisions for the exiles and their land. Water signifies great blessings and evidence of the Lord’s presence (cf. Jl 2:14).1
In Psalm 46 we hear a song of confidence in God’s protection of Zion.
* [Psalm 46] A song of confidence in God’s protection of Zion with close parallels to Ps 48. The dominant note in Ps 46 is sounded by the refrain, The LORD of hosts is with us (Ps 46:8, 12). The first strophe (Ps 46:2–4) sings of the security of God’s presence even in utter chaos; the second (Ps 46:5–8), of divine protection of the city from its enemies; the third (Ps 46:9–11), of God’s imposition of imperial peace.2
The reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians explains the role of God’s ministers as components of a Living Temple of the Holy Spirit.
* [3:17] Holy: i.e., “belonging to God.” The cultic sanctity of the community is a fundamental theological reality to which Paul frequently alludes (cf. 1 Cor 1:2, 30; 6:11; 7:14).3
Jesus cleanses the Temple of disrespectful influences in the Gospel of John.
* [2:19] This saying about the destruction of the temple occurs in various forms (Mt 24:2; 27:40; Mk 13:2; 15:29; Lk 21:6; cf. Acts 6:14). Mt 26:61 has: “I can destroy the temple of God…”; see note there. In Mk 14:58, there is a metaphorical contrast with a new temple: “I will destroy this temple made with hands and within three days I will build another not made with hands.” Here it is symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection and the resulting community (see Jn 2:21 and Rev 21:2). In three days: an Old Testament expression for a short, indefinite period of time; cf. Hos 6:2.4
Mike Cherney sees today’s readings as focusing on institutional structures. The passage from Ezekiel describes the revitalizing water that flows from the temple. This theme continues in the Psalm. In his letter Paul, uses the representation of a building to describe the structure of the Church. The Gospel Acclamation recognizes the temple as a place where God is specially present. In the Gospel, Jesus rails against those using the temple for personal gain and goes on to give a new metaphorical meaning to what is called the temple.
Institutions provide a structure for preservation. They are not necessarily the agents of change. I especially appreciated Paul’s comment, “… like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there …” Institutions are meant to provide a groundwork and also to be dynamic. As human beings we get things wrong, not everyone is a person in touch with the foundation that has been laid. Paul advises caution; people make errors both out of self-interest and well-intentioned missteps.5
Don Schwager quotes “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)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 comments that the Church has gone through its own “fires” and “earthquakes”: disagreements from within and attacks from without. But despite all of these challenges, the Church continues to stand.
So if you’re worried about the current state of the Church, put your faith in God. He has never forsaken her, and he never will! That doesn’t mean that the Church is exempt from problems and challenges. But God can use them to purify it, bring it healing, and make it even more beautiful. He is our “refuge and our strength” (Psalm 46:2). He will remain with his Church—and with us—always.7
Friar Jude Winkler comments that Ezekiel is issuing a blessing oracle to identify the Temple as a source of life and grace. Liturgy has the power to transform the world. Friar Jude reminds that John places the cleansing of the Temple as a preface to Jesus Passion.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, invites us to a Spiritual practice of Relating to Plants through the work of biologist and Anglican Rupert Sheldrake and his recent book Science and Spiritual Practices, Sheldrake writes:
The sciences have penetrated into realms of the very large and the very small which our ancestors knew nothing about. The trouble is that the sciences give us vast amounts of data, but it is devoid of personal or spiritual meaning. [2]
The advantage of most spiritual practices is precisely that they are about practice rather than belief. They are therefore open to religious people and to nonreligious people. They are inclusive. [3]8
Our spiritual awareness of the Divine is often intensified by our worship in Church structures and in the Cathedral of Nature.
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