GOD DWELLS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE (HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME 20TH AUGUST 2022

THEME: GOD DWELLS IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE

HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF 20th WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Ezekiel 43:1-7; Matthew 23:1-12

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, God is omnipresent, his glory fills the whole earth. However, in the first reading of today from the book of prophet Ezekiel, God makes manifest to prophet Ezekiel in a unique way an outstanding place of his dwelling which is the Temple. In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, God honours and dignifies the sacredness of the temple as his dwelling. 

The Temple is the dwelling place of God, it is a place of encounter with God, it is a place of worship, sacrifice, and adoration of God, and it is a place where believers God assemble as God's family to perform their liturgical celebration. Hence, the reading of today reawakens in us the reverence and honour we must pay to the Temple of worship. 

Jesus declared: “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a robbers den” (Mt 21:13). Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the Temple of God must not be reduced to an ordinary place, it must not be turned into something other than its purpose. The decorum, serenity and equanimity of the Temple must be maintained. During worship and prayer assemblies, people must not translate the Temple to be a place for village meetings, gossip and immodest dressings etc. Our quality of worship must reflect the sacredness of the Temple of God. Friends in Christ, having understood the place and significance of the Temple in our lives as Christians, let us meaningfully devote our time, strength and resources to the edification of the Temple. Let us not be passive whenever our support and contributions are demanded for the building of God's Temple or church. Let us not feel that they are waste of time but rather let us understand that we contribute to the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. The psalmist tells us today: “The glory of the Lord shall dwell in our Land”. Friends in Christ, it is our prayer that God's glory will continually reside in the Temple, in our land and our hearts forever. 

In the Gospel reading of today, Jesus warns us against the yeast of the Pharisees: hypocrisy, a life of pretence. A dualistic lifestyle where the external manifestations are at variance with the internal resolutions of the heart and conscience.

Jesus warned: “The scribe and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practice what they preach”. Jesus condemned the actions of the Pharisees because every mantra of hypocrisy is for the promotion of the self. Ego was the consequential effect of hypocrisy. As religious leaders who occupy the chair of Moses, they are meant to be instruments that lead the people to God, rather they have directed all attention to themselves (ego/self) e.g in the manner they dress, in the manner they pray, in the manner, they position themselves at places of honour etc. They were meant to be exemplary figures that reflect the essence of the scripture but rather became Lords over the people. 

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus warns us against the life of pretence. Our Christian life must not be a life of pretence or double life. A life that honours external appraisals for our selfish ends but isn't in conformity with the Gospel values and with God. A life where people respect us in public for bearing the name Christians but in private we do not submit to the tenets of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus warns: “It is not those who call me Lord Lord that will enter the kingdom of God but those who do the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). We must not be Christians on lip service but Christians in our practical way of life, those who do the will of God by honouring in praxis the greatest commandment of love. 

May God bless his words in our hearts. Amen

Fr Remi osj