Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He
found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the
money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out
of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money
changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace. His
disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing
this? Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I
will raise it up. The Jews said “This temple has been under construction for
forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking
about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead his
disciples remembered that he had said this and they came to believe the
Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to
believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not
trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to
testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
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Reflection:
A father
would always tell his children to observe silence when they are at church for
Holy Mass. In turn the children would
also ask their father: “Why do we need to be silent at church?” Their father
would right away tell them: “This is for the reason is that the church is a
temple of worship for God, therefore when you are at church you always need to
focus on Jesus, be silent and prayerful.”
When Jesus
went to the temple for the feast of Passover, He saw that it was not anymore
being used as it was supposed to be. Jesus was expecting that the temple was
being used with solemnity and reverence for the simple reason that is the
temple of God.
But to
His dismay the temple was converted to a marketplace where people were wheeling
and dealing to earn a living. Perhaps the temple was not only being used for
business perhaps it was being used for other sordid activities. Therefore, Jesus had to intervene; He has to
put order and discipline so that the temple would be fit for worship again.
Every
Sunday or even every day we go to our respective temple of worship that is our
parish church for Holy Mass. How do we behave when we are at church? Do we
create noise by chit-chatting with friends/relatives while we wait for the Holy
Mass to commence? Or we begin to connect with God by praying and
listening to Him without uttering a single word?
When we
are at church we have to ensure that we only use it for one purpose alone and
that is to worship and connect with God silently. No noise whatsoever for this
is how it should be. Otherwise, if we create noise we become one with those who
transformed the temple into a marketplace which provoked anger from Jesus.
How are
you when you are at church? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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