Homily for November 9th, 2015: John 2:13-22.
Was Jesus
always meek and mild? The gospel we have just heard shows him angry. Why? To
understand Jesus’ anger, we must turn back to the criticism which the prophets
made repeatedly of the way their people worshiped God. In cleansing the Temple Jesus
Repeatedly
the prophets emphasized that God was not interested in the offering of material
things. He desired the worshipers’ hearts and minds. To come before God with
prayers and material offerings, while living in disobedience to God’s law —
lying, cheating, stealing, and oppressing the poor — was worse than useless,
the prophets said. It cried to heaven for vengeance. That was the consistent
message of all Israel
The demand of the Jewish prophets for
pure worship is the background for Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple
How important that lesson is for us
Catholics. We owe God our worship on Sunday, as well as the worship of
obedience to him in daily life, simply because God made us. God has given us
all that we are and have, sin excepted. Even the things we have gained through
our own initiative and hard work, we have only because of the gifts and
abilities which God has given us. One day we shall have to give an account of how
we have used all God’s gifts. We owe God our worship also in thanksgiving for
the greatest of all his gifts to us: the gift of his Son, who shed his life’s
blood to pay the price of our sins.
Prompted by the celebrating priest in
every Mass to lift up our hearts to the Lord, and to give him thanks, we say,
“It is right and just.” To which the priest responds: “It is truly right and
just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God.”
If you want to
know the key to happiness, there it is. Thankful people are happy people:
always, and everywhere: no exceptions!
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