HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 33RD WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR II/the cleansing of the temple

Homily for Friday of the 33rd week in the ordinary time, year II

Revelation 10:8-11; Luke 19:45-48

The first reading tells us that St. John went to the angel and told him to give him the little scroll. But the angel told him, "Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach but sweet as honey in your mouth" (Rev 10:9). 

It is obvious that the scroll was requested by St. John and the angel directed him to take and eat. This means that the Revelation of God is not forced upon anyone. One can only freely and willingly take it upon oneself. 

To eat the scroll means to assimilate, to digest, to make the scroll part and parcel of oneself. In the same manner, we too are to assimilate, digest and make the Revelation of God part and parcel of our Christian existence. 

Beloved in Christ, the word of God is food for our spiritual hunger. It can be sweet as honey in the mouth but bitter in the stomach. It is sweet because it discloses God's infinite love and promises future blessedness. Bitter because it fortells the sufferings, cross, persecution and trial of all kind (martyrdom) that awaits us for stand up for the values of the kingdom of God. Friends in Christ, let us courageous be fed with the word of God that we may be spiritually heathy to combat the darts for the evil one.

In the Gospel reading we see the cleansing of the Temple. "Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, it is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers" (Lk 19:45-46).

This action of Jesus produced some reactions and consequences of which one was to kill Jesus. It reads: "The Chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him" (LK 19:47). This was because by expelling the traders in the temple, Jesus went against the vested interest of the chief priest and the csribes abd Pharisees. 

Another is seen in the Gospel of John. John puts it: "His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for your house will consume me" (Jn 2:17). These words express the conviction of the disciples that Jesus was the Messiah. 

John went ahead to present the conversation of the cleansing of the temple with the prophecy of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Jews said to him what sign have you got to show us? Jesus answered them: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up'...He was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this: and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken" (JN 2:18-22).

Beloved in Christ, the church is a community assembly where all classes of people meet: the rich, the poor, people of different tongue and colours. The varied circumstances of our status do not count in the church. 

Just as a church dedicated to God should not be converted to a den of robbers, so also the souls consecrated to God must be preserved from desecration. St. Paul reminds us in this regard: "Do you not know you are God's temple, and the spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is Holy and you are that temple" (1Cor 3:16-18)

Let's preserve with utmost care and reverence our souls from the stain of evil. 

Have a grace-filled day

Fr Remi Osj