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My Saturday Daily
Blessings
Be still, quiet your heart
and mind, the Lord is here, loving you, talking to
you.........................................................................
Feast of the Dedication
of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (Catholic Observance)
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in
Ordinary Time (Roman Rite
Calendary)
First Reading: Ez 47:1-2, 8-9,
12
The angel brought me back to the
entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Responsorial Psalm: Ps
46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
"The waters of the
river gladden the city of GOD, the holy dwelling of the Most
High!"
Second Reading: 1 Cor 3:9c-11,
16-17
You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Gospel: Jn
2:13-22
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.
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.
Alternate Gospel Reading: Luke
16:9-15
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves
by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into
the eternal habitations. 10 "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful
also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in
much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will
entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that
which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13 No servant can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he
will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon." 14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they
scoffed at him. 15 But he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an
abomination in the sight of God.
Meditation:
What can keep us from the
presence of God? Jesus’ dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his
disciples as a prophetic sign of God’s action. The temple was understood as the
dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered his people from
slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally to Mount Sinai
where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of life embodied in
the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God gave Moses instruction for worship
and for making the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting, which was later replaced by
the temple. The New Testament tells us that these “serve as a copy and shadow of
the heavenly sanctuary” – God’s Temple in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). Jesus’ cleansing
of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us.
He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin and make us living temples of his Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you want to be holy as God is holy?
Jesus referred to the temple
as his Father’s house which was being made into “house of trade” (John 2:16) or
“den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). That is why he used physical force to expel the
money-chargers. The prophecy of Malachi foretold the coming of the Lord
unexpectedly to his Temple to “purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold
and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord” (Malachi 3:1-4).
Jesus' disciples recalled the words of Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house will
consume me.” This was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw
more clearly Jesus as the Messiah who burned with zeal for God's house. The
Jewish authorities, however, wanted proof that Jesus had divine authority to act
as he did. They demanded a sign from God to prove Jesus right, otherwise, they
would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of their authority. Jesus replied
that the sign God would give would be Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection
from the tomb: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The
Jews did not understand that the temple Jesus referred to was his own body. The
“tent of his body” had to be destroyed to open the way to the presence of God
for us. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with
God, but he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us temples of the living God
(1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God's word enlightens our minds and purifies our hearts
that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and
forever. Do you burn with zeal for the Lord’s house?
Alternate
Meditation:
What does "tainted money" (or
"unrighteous mammon") have to do with heavenly treasure and eternal life? Jesus
exhorts his disciples to be like the shrewd steward who used money generously to
make friends and win for himself a secure and happy future (see the parable of
the dishonest steward in Luke 16:1-9). Generous giving is connected with
almsgiving – giving financial assistance to those in need (sell your possessions and give
alms -Luke 12:33). Those who receive alms become your friends because you
are merciful to them in their time of need, just as God is merciful to you in
your need for his forgiveness and help. What is the enemy of generosity? It's
greed, the excessive desire for personal gain and security. True generosity does
not impoverish the giver, but enriches that person a hundredfold! Generosity
expands the soul; greed contracts it. God is generous and superabundant in
lavishing his gifts upon us. We can never outgive God in what he has already
given to us. Do you know the joy and freedom of generosity and liberality in
giving to others what God has so richly given to you?
Jesus concludes his parable with a
lesson on what controls or rules our lives. Who is the master (or ruler) in charge
of your life? Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our
ideals, controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by.
We can be ruled by many different things – the love of money or possessions, the
power of position, the glamor of wealth and prestige, the driving force of
unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and
"mammon". What is mammon? "Mammon" stands for "material wealth or possessions"
or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires". There is one Master
alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and addiction.
That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ.
God loves generosity and he gives
generously and liberally to those who share his gifts with others. The
Pharisees, however, had no room in their hearts for God. The gospel says they
were lovers of money. Love of money and wealth crowd out love of God and
love of neighbor. Jesus makes clear that our heart must either be possessed by
God's love or our heart will be possessed by the love of something else. What
does your heart most treasure?
Prayer:
Alternate
Prayer:
"Lord Jesus, may the fire of your
love burn in my heart that I may be wholly devoted to you above all else. Free
me from greed and attachment to material things that I may be generous in using
the gifts and resources you give me for your glory and for the good of my
neighbor." Amen.
Source:
Lectionary for Mass
for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright
© 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm
refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy,
Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be
reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including
electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright
owner.
**Don Schwager
Author and
Writer
Editor of Living
Bullwark
Member
of the Servants of the Word
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