John 2:13-22
According to Catholic tradition and our Church historians, the
Lateran Basilica is the episcopal seat of the pope as bishop of
Rome. It is called the "mother and head of all churches of Rome
and the world." This Sunday is special because it marks the
anniversary of this Church when in November 9, 324 A.D., Pope
Sylvester I dedicated the Church to the Savior, and to St. John
the Baptist.
The gospel for this Sunday presents the account of Jesus
purification of the Temple of Jerusalem from profane activities.
Many translations of the Bible tell us in different words why
Jesus made a whip of cords and drove out all the animals and the
money-changers out of the temple. According to the RSV, Jesus
says that they should not make His Father's house a "house of
trade". Then, according to the GNB, the NAB, and the NRSV, He
judged the situation as a "marketplace". Then also in the JB,
He judged what was happening as a "market". (RSV - Revised
Standard Version; GNB - Good News Bible; NAB - New American
Bible, NRSV - New Revised Standard Version; JB - Jerusalem
Bible).
Jesus was indignant at what He saw not so much because of the
secular situation of a marketplace where goods are traded for
the benefit of people, but because their activity was profaning
and disrespecting what is sacred: like noise, chaotic trade,
or unfair business problems that harm the spirit of prayer in
the Temple. The Temple is a sacred place. And He also took
the occasion to teach the Jews that the Temple of His Body
was also sacred and He knew that it would also soon be
profaned and desecrated upon His impending passion and death
on the cross.
The message Jesus wanted to convey to the Jews by His action
in the Temple was that they were to respect what is sacred and
consecrated - everything set apart for God's purposes. And
this means not only in the physical sense - the Jerusalem
Temple and all that is in it - but also in the spiritual sense
(His Body and Blood, which we now receive at every Sunday Mass
when we celebrate the Eucharist).
On second reflection, we are called to also respect our parish
and everything in its environs. Let us ask forgiveness from
Jesus our Lord and Savior for all the times we turned the
parish into a "marketplace" by the noise of our profane
conversations and all the misbehavior we have committed in
the premises which could have scandalized others. Also, let
us ask forgiveness from Jesus for all the times we have not
prepared well our soul to receive the purity of His gift in
the Eucharist. May we amend our ways and teach especially
our children to respect everything that is of God - the parish
environs and most especially where the Blessed Sacrament is
enthroned.
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