Sunday, March 8, 2015

3rd Sunday of Lent - 2015


Destroy this sanctuary and in three days
        I will raise it up .
He was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body.

Reading this passage in to-days Eucharist on the cleansing of the Temple I was struck by the intensity of Jesus’ zeal for the purity and integrity of his Father’s house.
His attitude had always been one of immense respect for the temple as many incidents related in the Gospels tell us.    The prophecies had foretold of the destruction of the ancient temple which would be replaced by the New Temple, a temple of the living God, Jesus himself, who would offer to the Father the true worship in Spirit and in truth.
        This theme of the true temple can be traced right through the scriptures to reveal that “Jesus has truly transferred to his own person the privilege, long held by the temple, of being the place where mankind would find God’s presence and salvation.”( Congar  The mystery of the temple) It makes for a fascinating study but is too long to go into detail here.
     Thro’ the mystery of the Incarnation Jesus becomes for us the image of the invisible God, the one whom the gracious Father with love sends into our world to draw it back to Him who first created it.  We thro’ our baptism are incorporated into the life of this Jesus to be come thro, with, and in Him,  temples of the Blessed Trinity.
 Will we ever be able to fathom so great a mystery? a mystery which touches us not only as individuals but as a community and Church.
Do you not under stand that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit has his dwelling in you ?   He is God’s gift to you so that you are no longer your own masters.   A great price has been paid to ransom you ; glorify God by making your bodies the shrines of his presence. 1 Cor.
         “ A great price has been paid to ransom you”, yes indeed ,that of the immolation of Christ’ s body which would be raised up again on the 3rd day, in other words His loving and whole-hearted submission to the will of his Father leading him to the glory such as belongs to the only begotten Son.  .Here we are at the heart of the whole work of Jesus, the work which the Father had given him to do.  And is not this our work too, we who are his brothers and sisters?  The Church encourages us in Lent to stir up our memory and conscience to that fact as we journey with Jesus to the glorious transfiguration of the Resurrection .     The witness of so many of to-day’s Christians who are ready to shed their blood for Christ spurs me on to deepen my faith, my hope ,my love for the blessed Three who dwell within me .
All praise, O Blessed Trinity,
Be yours, from whom all graces flow,
On those who triumph through the cross

The victor’s crown in heaven bestow.

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