The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to celebrate and sanctify those places wherein we experience God in the assembly of His children.
The reading from the First Book of Maccabees describes the Cleansing and Rededication of the Temple.
* [4:52] Twenty-fifth day of the ninth month…in the year one hundred and forty-eight: December 14, 164 B.C.
* [4:59] Days of the dedication: institution of the feast of Hanukkah, also called the feast of Dedication (Jn 10:22). Josephus calls it the feast of Lights (Ant. 12:325). (1 Maccabees, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
The reading from the First Book of Chronicles is David’s Praise to God.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus Cleanses the Temple.
* [19:45–46] Immediately upon entering the holy city, Jesus in a display of his authority enters the temple (see Mal 3:1–3) and lays claim to it after cleansing it that it might become a proper place for his teaching ministry in Jerusalem (Lk 19:47; 20:1; 21:37; 22:53). See Mt 21:12–17; Mk 11:15–19; Jn 2:13–17 and the notes there. (Luke, CHAPTER 19, n.d.)
Eileen Wirth comments that we need the reverence we experience in our sacred spaces and it is imperative that we preserve them for that reason.
Religious people are often criticized for spending money on buildings that could be spent on human needs. Some critics even suggest that the Vatican should sell its priceless art works for the poor. Like who would buy the Sistine Chapel? But we NEED our sacred spaces.
Think about your place of worship whether it’s a Cathedral or a tiny rural church. What has it meant to your life and that of your community? Where have you turned in time of sorrow for hope and inspiration? What are your joyful memories of Christmas or weddings and baptisms? In recently writing a book about the history of St. John’s, I found that for many members, all these things are almost inseparable from the church itself. (Wirth, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The home of sanctity,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"God does not want his temple to be a trader's lodge but the home of sanctity. He does not preserve the practice of the priestly ministry by the dishonest duty of religion but by voluntary obedience. Consider what the Lord's actions impose on you as an example of living... He taught in general that worldly transactions must be absent from the temple, but he drove out the money changers in particular. Who are the money changers, if not those who seek profit from the Lord's money and cannot distinguish between good and evil? Holy Scripture is the Lord's money." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 9.17-18) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 19:45-48 comments that Jesus’ words can stir our hearts the same way they did for those people so long ago. We might come to him for a variety of reasons: maybe we’re curious or maybe we’re skeptical. Maybe we’re looking for a deeper relationship with him, or maybe it’s just something we do because of the way we were raised.
But whatever our motive, Jesus can still work in us. As we listen to his words, we’ll find something stirring in our hearts. Our hope might surge as we begin to understand that God is a heavenly Father who loves us and wants a relationship with us. As his unmerited love inspires us, we might start to long for a holier life. Maybe we’ll even feel led to tell other people about the ways Jesus’ words are changing our lives.
Like those people in the Temple, let’s come to Jesus and hang onto his words. Let’s listen to him and linger with him. Because Jesus’ words are meant to well up in our hearts and change us.
“Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. Touch my heart today.” (Meditation on Luke 19:45-48, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the desecration of the Temple under the rule of the Seleucid Empire that was reconsecrated by the Macaabees with the eight day celebration now known as Hanukkah when one day supply of oil in the lamp lasted for eight days. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple raised concern among the leaders of a riot or rebellion against Rome even as Jesus spoke and acted with the authority of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, finds a hopeful vision for the cosmos in the teachings of 13th-century Franciscan theologian Bonaventure.
The lovely symmetry of St. Bonaventure’s theology can be summarized in what Bonaventure himself named as the three great truths that hold everything together for him:
Emanation: We come forth from God bearing the divine image, and thus our inherent identity is grounded in the life of God from the beginning (Genesis 1:26–27).
Exemplarism: Everything, the entire chain of being, and everything in creation is an example and illustration of the one God mystery in space and time (Romans 1:20). No exceptions.
Consummation: All returns to the Source from which it came (John 14:3). The Omega is the same as the Alpha and this is God’s supreme and final victory.
What a positive and safe world this describes! In Bonaventure’s teachings we have a coherent and grounded meaning the post-modern world no longer enjoys—and yet longs for. Note this is clearly not the later reward/punishment frame that almost totally took over when people did not experience God, but only believed propositions. Most people today are not sure where we came from, who we are, and where we’re going, and many do not even seem to care about the questions. (Rohr, 2023)
We have a supposedly Celtic tradition of “thin places” where the boundary between heaven and earth is very small and we can experience Divine Presence. It is so important to seek and nourish these time and space anomalies that enhance the truth, beauty, and goodness of our journey.
References
Luke, CHAPTER 19. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/19?45
Meditation on Luke 19:45-48. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/11/24/835901/
1 Maccabees, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1maccabees/4?36
Rohr, R. (2023, November 24). Bonaventure's Three Great Truths — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/bonaventures-three-great-truths/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=nov24
Wirth, E. (2023, November 24). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 24, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/112423.html
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