Cleansing the Temple

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.

Gathered as the Body of Christ

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 

Known as Christians

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the challenges that change presents us especially in responding to the call of the Spirit to transformation in our lives.

Transition and Faith

The reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the growth of the Church in Antioch.

* [11:19–26] The Jewish Christian antipathy to the mixed community was reflected by the early missionaries generally. The few among them who entertained a different view succeeded in introducing Gentiles into the community at Antioch (in Syria). When the disconcerted Jerusalem community sent Barnabas to investigate, he was so favorably impressed by what he observed that he persuaded his friend Saul to participate in the Antioch mission.

* [11:26] Christians: “Christians” is first applied to the members of the community at Antioch because the Gentile members of the community enable it to stand out clearly from Judaism. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)

Psalm 87 praises the Joy of Living in Zion.

* [Psalm 87] A song of Zion, like Ps 46; 48; 76; 132.

* [87:2] The gates: the city itself, a common Hebrew idiom.

* [87:5–6] The bond between the exile and the holy city was so strong as to override the exile’s citizenship of lesser cities. (Psalms, PSALM 87, n.d.)

In the Gospel of John, Jesus Is Rejected by the Jews.

* [10:22] Feast of the Dedication: an eight-day festival of lights (Hebrew, Hanukkah) held in December, three months after the feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:2), to celebrate the Maccabees’ rededication of the altar and reconsecration of the temple in 164 B.C., after their desecration by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Dn 8:13; 9:27; cf. 1 Mc 4:36–59; 2 Mc 1:18–2:19; 10:1–8).

* [10:23] Portico of Solomon: on the east side of the temple area, offering protection against the cold winds from the desert.

* [10:24] Keep us in suspense: literally, “How long will you take away our life?” Cf. Jn 11:48–50. If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly: cf. Lk 22:67. This is the climax of Jesus’ encounters with the Jewish authorities. There has never yet been an open confession before them.

* [10:25] I told you: probably at Jn 8:25 which was an evasive answer.

* [10:29] The textual evidence for the first clause is very divided; it may also be translated: “As for the Father, what he has given me is greater than all,” or “My Father is greater than all, in what he has given me.”

* [10:30] This is justification for Jn 10:29; it asserts unity of power and reveals that the words and deeds of Jesus are the words and deeds of God. (John, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)

George Butterfield reflects on the lives of Saint Athanasius, Deacon Stephen, and Barnabas and the faith that developed in Antioch.

So, brothers and sisters, let us hold onto Jesus. Let us encourage one another. Let us trust in the power of God to protect us, even as he protected St. Athanasius. And, if like St. Stephen, we lose our lives to remain faithful, let us die knowing that even death cannot snatch us out of the Father’s hand.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Butterfield, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “The Great might of Christ's hand,” by Clement of Alexandria, 150-215 A.D.

"The faithful also have the help of Christ, and the devil is not able to snatch them. Those who have an endless enjoyment of good things remain in Christ's hand, no one thereafter snatching them away from the bliss that is given to them. [No one can throw them] into punishment or torments. For it is not possible that those who are in Christ's hand should be snatched away to be punished because of the great might Christ has. For 'the hand' in the divine Scripture signifies 'the power'" It cannot be doubted therefore that the hand of Christ is unconquerable and mighty to all things." (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 7.1) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on John 10:22-30 comments that we are no longer shackled by our weaknesses or faults. Because you have sent your own Spirit to live in us, we can live in holiness. We can become a living witness to the Father in our world!

“You and the Father are one. We worship you, Jesus, for filling us with hope and joy because you have come to make us one with the Father.”

“Lord, help me to see how ‘shocking’—and wonderful—it is that you and the Father are one and that you are in me.” (Meditation on John 10:22-30, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that after Stephen’s death, Greek teachers preach to Jews and Gentiles in Antioch. The followers of the Way, the Nazarenes, become known as Christians in Antioch. Friar Jude notes the sense of scandal experienced by the religious leaders when Jesus proclaims His relationship to the Father.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Benedictine and Celtic scholar Esther de Waal who finds inspiration to manage life’s transitions in the Scriptures. She shares how we might navigate the resistance we feel as we stand on the threshold of something unknown.

Of course there is loss and it is right to grieve and not to pretend otherwise. Insecurity makes certitude attractive, and it is in times like these that I want to harness God to my preferred scheme of things, for it is risky to be so vulnerable. Yet it is this vulnerability that asks for trust and hope in God’s plans, not mine. So I try to learn each time that I am called upon to move forward to hand over the past freely, putting it behind me, and moving on with hands open and ready for the new. (Rohr, 2023)

When we frequently experience change on our journey, we have the support of our trust in God to find new life on the path on which we find ourselves.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/11?19 

Butterfield, G. (2023, May 2). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/050223.html 

John, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/10? 

Meditation on John 10:22-30. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/05/02/670380/ 

Psalms, PSALM 87. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/87?1 

Rohr, R. (2023, May 2). Embracing Change — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/embracing-change-2023-05-02/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). My Sheep Hear My Voice. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved May 2, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=may2