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!