Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
Third Sunday of Lent, Year B – March 4, 2018.
Readings: Exodus 20:1-17; Ps
18:8-11; 1 Cor. 1:18-25; Gospel – John 2:13-25.
Theme: The Commercialisation
of Christianity and the Desecration of God’s Temple!
Introduction
Beloved in the Lord, our reflection today attempts a
“de-commodification” of the commodification and commercialisation of
Christianity as well as the desecration of the temple of the Lord. A background
to this reflection is drawn from the first, second and gospel readings which
dispose us to the evil of commercializing religion and the danger of destroying
God’s temple which stands for both the Church as a building and the human
person created in the image and likeness of God. First, we shall take a look at
liturgical readings in the light of take-home lessons.
Explication of the
Liturgical Readings
In the first reading (Exodus 20:1-17), the Ten
Commandments of God are presented to the people of Israel. The Ten Commandments
are summarised into the love of God and the love of neighbour (Mark 12:30-31). What
is significant about the first two commandments which demand respect for the
name and person of God forbade the abuse of God’s name. These two commandments
reveal the concept of a person’s name being the same thing as the person in
Hebrew Tradition. The implication is that what you did to a person’s name was
invariably done to the person. The respect that is due to God extends to
everything about him which includes His temple.
The message of the first reading prepares us for the
message of the gospel reading (John 2:13-25) wherein Jesus expels the money
changers and merchants selling pageants for commodification of religion and
decorating the temple of the Lord. The
cleansing of the temple was an attempt by Jesus to establish the sacredness of
the Church as a place of true worship. Jesus would later identify His body as a
temple that He would build in three days after it has being destroyed (John
2:19). What this means again, is that the Church is not just a building but
people. This is why the Word of God says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). The cleansing of the temple (Church building) is the
first step at purifying ourselves as a Church to be fit to worship God in an ecclesiastical
edifice. The Church building is the sign of God’s presence.
Perhaps the Jews did not recognise the importance of
the temple as a place of true worship and not a place of commercialization;
perhaps they did not recognise Jesus as the anointed one to whom true worship
must be directed; this is why the message of the second reading (1 Cor. 1:18-25)
connects with both the first reading and the gospel because it states that the
Jews demanded for signs of God’s presence among them. Once more, the second
reading reveals the person of Jesus as the anointed one to whom true worship in
body and spirit must be addressed. We shall now look at those areas where we
commercialize and desecrate Christianity.
Take Home Lessons
1. When our prayer to God is only directed at material
possessions, we commercialize Christianity;
2. When we selectively read the portions of scripture
which promises us prosperity and grandeur while craftily avoiding those that
refer to taking up our cross to follow Christ, we are commercializing
Christianity;
3. When we use the Church as conduit pipe for
enrichment to the detriment of spreading the Good News, we are commodifying
religion;
4. When the only reason we go to Church is because we
are afraid of hell, we commodify Christianity;
5. When we are disappointed in God for allowing
trails, tribulations and temptations on our way of faith, we commercialize
Christianity;
6. When we turn the Church into a Social Club where we
go to make new friends or showcase our new clothing, we are desecrating
Christianity;
7. When we use Church to promote sectional, regional,
racial or gender interests, we are not any different from the merchants that
Jesus expelled from the temple;
8. When we knowingly administer the sacraments
arbitrarily or handle sacramentals with contempt, we are sacrilegiously
defiling the temple of God;
9. When we give more time for TV, Club, making-money
and other mundane pleasures yet cut-corners to receive the sacraments
especially baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, marriage etc, we are short-changing
God and attempting to destroy His temple;
10. When we overtly or covertly gang up to bring the
Church down by humiliating members of the clergy or religious, we are fighting
God and attempting to destroy his Church.
11. When we support all “anti-life and anti-family”
policies which promote abortion, euthanasia and gay marriage we are destroying
God’s temple which is the human person and life without which there is no
worship of God;
Homiletic
Quotes to Remember
1. Our reflection
today attempts a “de-commodification” of the commodification and
commercialisation of Christianity as well as the desecration of the temple of
the Lord.;
2. The Ten
Commandments are summarised into the love of God and the love of neighbour
(Mark 12:30-31).
3. The respect
that is due to God extends to everything about him which includes His temple.
4. The cleansing
of the temple was an attempt by Jesus to establish the sacredness of the Church
as a place of true worship.
5. The Church is
not just a building but people.
6. The Church building is the sign of God’s
presence.
Conclusion
We pray that God grants us the necessary graces to
preserve the worship of God in his Church and amongst us. It behoves us to
build befitting Churches for the worship of God. Beyond that, the onus lies on
us to preserve life and promote it since our body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit. We must resist all actions which seek to destroy the Church as a
building and the human person. What is more, we have the obligation to shun the
commercialisation of Christianity and the desecration of God’s temple.
May God help us. Amen. Have a fabulous week ahead!
No comments:
Post a Comment