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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. John
2:19–21
We celebrate, today, the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the mother
church of the entire Roman Catholic Church. It was given to the
Bishop of Rome in the fourth century and remained the pope’s
primary residence until the building of St. Peter’s Basilica, at a
time when the Lateran Basilica was falling into ruins. However, the
Lateran Basilica to this day remains the most important Church in
the world, since it is officially the Cathedral Church of
Rome.
As we honor this church, we honor more than a building. The Lateran
Basilica is a symbol of the one true Church of Jesus Christ. Its
interior is beautiful and awe-inspiring so as to point us to the
unimaginable beauty of the Church Herself, which is the Mystical
Body of Christ.
Today’s Gospel depicts Jesus entering the Temple and driving the
money changers out with a whip and the animals they were selling
for profit. As He did so, He cried out, “Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” Psalm 69 is then
quoted: Zeal for your house will consume me.
Jesus loves His Church as His own Body—because that is what it is.
As His Body, the members of His Church are called and sent to act
as His instruments, members of His saving action. Much more than a
church building, today we honor the Church Herself—which means we
honor you, insofar as you are a member of the Body of Christ. And
in light of this Gospel passage for today’s Feast, we are reminded
of the zeal that our Lord has for the cleansing of His
Church.
How is the Church purified? It is purified by the cleansing of Her
members. That means that Jesus desires, with perfect zeal, to drive
out every sin from your soul, cleansing the filth that keeps you
from fulfilling your essential role as a member of His Body.
Sometimes we become slack in our own commitment to be purified. We
can easily become comfortable with the sins we commit, and we can
form habits that are hard to break. When this happens, it is useful
to ponder this story of the cleansing of the Temple and see it as
Jesus’ desire to cleanse our own soul. At times, we need to be
shaken up, challenged, confronted and encouraged with the
unwavering zeal in the heart of our Lord.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful image of Jesus cleansing the
Temple. As you do, apply it to your own life. The people selling
and buying in the Temple must have been shocked at Jesus’ zeal and
actions. If you have become complacent with your sins, try to allow
this holy shock to also wake you up. Allow our Lord’s zeal to
affect you, and know that His purifying actions are acts of love by
which He desires to free you to become a more fully functioning
member of His holy Church.
My zealous Lord, Your heart burns with a deep desire to cleanse
me and all Your children from sin. Your zeal reveals Your deep love
and Your willingness to do all that You can to make me a fuller
member of Your Body, the Church. Open my mind and will, dear Lord,
to all that You wish to say to me and give me the grace to respond
to Your purifying action in my life. Jesus, I trust in
You.
James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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