but you have turned it into a den of robbers!” Jesus was teaching every day in the temple. The
chief priests and teachers of the law wanted to kill him, and the elders of the Jews as well,
but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to him and hanging on
his words.
Reflect
The first reading celebrates the purification and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem
after it had been desecrated. (Jews today still celebrate this event at Hanukkah.) In the
Gospel, Jesus clears that same temple of moneychangers and sellers who were making
this holy place look like a market. He reminded them that, while this place deserved
respect, his body was the place where God was to be found.
Over nearly two millennia, the people of God have worshipped in all sorts of places,
from the house churches of the early Church to the basilicas of Rome, from grand
cathedrals to simple structures made by the worshippers themselves. No matter how
ornate or simple the structure, these spaces were made holy by the sacrifice of praise
offered there and the presence of Christ that abides. We are called to reverence
the presence of Christ wherever it is found: in our churches, in the Word, in our
brothers and sisters.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023