1.Ex
20: 1-17
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2.1Cor
1:22-25
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3.Jn
2:13-25
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THEME OF THE READINGS “
True worship is the worship in both spirit and truth”
As we celebrate the 3rd
Sunday of Lent, Jesus Christ teaches us the lesson on worship. We hear from the
readings more especially from the Gospel reading Jesus purifying the temple in
Jerusalem. An act of Jesus to cleanse the temple practically did not mean
merely the removal the removal of unwanted items from the temple; by this
symbolic act Jesus is calling the peoples of the earth to worship God in spirit
and truth. True worshipers are those
who worship God the father in spirit and truth. In this context we are all
invited to make a move on what dominates our hearts and minds. In our today’s
World we are being possessed by what we call materialism, and secularism the
things that at times turned out to be
To worship means to
acknowledge the transcendence of God and his claim on us as our creator. To
worship in spirit and truth means means to prepare our hearts and minds by
being ready to submit ourselves totally to God by obeying his commandments,
covenant and by seeking the wisdom of God which is the wisdom of the cross. Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem in
order to bring the new worship, to change the entire system of Jewish worship,
to bring the system that could transcend Jewish ritual worship to spirit and
truth worship. Rituals, customs and traditions are the things that hinder us
not to worship God in spirit and truth. Jesus today also is inviting each one
of us to be open to him for purification. We are invited to make a radical
change in our lives, that is to change our way of behaving, to receive the church’s
sacraments more especially the sacrament of reconciliation. Leaving behind our
sins we thus welcome Jesus to be in our hearts.
When the side of Jesus
was pierced during his passion, the veil of the temple was torn into two from
the top to the bottom. Thus we learn that the place of worship is no longer the
temple in Jerusalem, but rather the place of worship is in the pierced side of
Jesus, that we have an access to the father in the one spirit. The true worship
entails in going deep within our secret chambers which is the side of Christ (
faith in Christ), and thus worship the father in spirit and truth.
In our gospel reading
Jesus reminds each one of us about making a sharp contrast between a House and a market. Jesus being aware of the political and religious
significant of days he strongly challenged it as well as challenging those who
were responsible for it. He challenged the institution because the temple was
not serving God’s purposes. Jesus said “stop
turning my father’s house into a market ( Jn2:16). A sharp contrast between a House
and Market is that a house has a potential at least to be a home, and a home is
the place where we find a school of Jesus’ thought ( Love, generosity,
compassion, forgiveness, charity etc). People go to market to buy and sell
their items. Buying and selling are not the activities to be associated with
home. The activities associated with market were the barriers to some worshipers to feel the presence of God in their lives (the theme of
distractions in prayer). Jesus in perceiving that reality, thus he saw a need
to reform the institution.
We are invited to
reflect on the need to reform our religious institutions whenever there is an
agent need to do so. The church so far as it is the human institution is not
perfect thus it needs a constant reform, our catholic church history attests
that reality, that it has undergone many reforms since its existence (
councils, like Vatican 1 &Vatican 2). The church exists to serve the
mission of Christ. The church is called to serve as the sacrament of Christ, to
reveal the powerful and life giving of Christ in the world. The church should
not present the distorted image of our Lord Jesus Christ ( Christ is not found
in the market, but Christ is with us at home). All of us being the members of
Christ’s body we need to open our hearts for spiritual growth and
transformation through the ministries of the church’s sacrament which Christ himself
instituted.
Thus in this Lenten season
it is the time to listen to what the spirit is saying about our lives, it is the
time when as individuals and community we are called to allow the spirit to reform
and renew our lives so that we conform more fully to the image and likeness of Christ.
0 Response to "HOMILY FOR THE 3rd SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B"
Chapisha Maoni