3rd Sunday of Lent, Year B: Homily by Fr Justin Adiele
THEME: “PURIFYING THE TEMPLE OF GOD WHICH IS OUR BODIES”
INTRODUCTION:
In the gospel reading of today, Jesus turned his gaze at the Jerusalem Temple which he spoke of in conjunction with his own body when he said; “destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” His action at the temple today is best described or interpreted as; ‘purifying or ridding the Temple of all malpractice and sacrilege.’ The same action could also be taken in our own bodies or lives; we could actually venture to rid and purify our lives this Lent of every Christian malpractice, and prepare ourselves for a true and sacred worship of the crucified and risen Christ.
THE FIRST READING (EX. 20: 1–17)
The first reading presented us with the list of the Ten Commandments or proactive ways/means of keeping our lives and bodies free from dirt, corruption, malpractice and moral decay. These commandments not only keep us clean and sacred before God and man, but also shield us from the jealousy and wrath of God and that of our neighbours, brothers and sisters. Neglect of these commandments amounts to serious Christian/moral/social/religious malpractice that attracts the ire and whip of God and of men.
THE SECOND READING (1 COR. 1: 22–25)
In the second reading, St. Paul drew our attention to what preoccupies the Jews and the Greeks; what they always seek; signs and wisdom respectively. What we constantly seek has something to contribute to the purity, purification and sacredness of our lives and bodies. What do you always seek as an individual? Is it attention, recognition, praise, women, wine, wealth, power, position, pleasure, miracles etc? If you seek all these more than you seek Christ or God, if you are preoccupied by them more than the virtues of heaven, then the sanctity of your life (thoughts, words and actions) is in serious jeopardy. However, St. Paul made us to understand that Christ is the sign and wisdom of God, and no other signs or wisdom that we seek is greater than Christ. Christ is that something greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon, greater than the riches/pleasures of this world. Seeking any other thing more than Christ is already a malpractice that will eventually desacralize our lives.
THE GOSPEL READING (JN. 2: 13–25)
In the gospel reading, Jesus drove out all those doing one malpractice or the other in the Temple; putting a stop to things that should not take place in the Temple. Our Lenten activity should also be geared towards driving out of our lives certain Christian malpractices and putting to a stop, attitudes that are unbecoming of a true Christian. We must fire up our zeal for the house of God, our zeal for prayer and sacraments, our zeal for the commandments of God, our zeal for the right/just ways of doing things, and our zeal for Jesus who suffered and died for us.
CONCLUSION
Brethren, like Jesus today, we must summon the courage to purify our lives this Lenten season no matter what inconveniences it may bring us. We should also summon same courage to correct others to do things the right and Christian way. We must purify our bodies/lives which are living temples of God of every malpractice, taking our bearing from the Ten Commandments; always seeking first Christ, his kingdom and all its righteousness; and every other thing will be added unto us.
Happy Sunday!
Fr. Justin