Third Sunday of Lent

March 7, 2021

Third Sunday of Lent

March 7, 2021

Deacon Anthony J. Cincotta

Saint Mary Magdalen Parish, Media, PA

Book of Exodus 20:1-7

Psalm 19:8-11

First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1:22-25

John 2:13-25

 

            Today’s Gospel narrative relates the familiar story of Jesus driving the sellers and the money changers who were doing business in the temple area.  He began to overturn the tables shouting, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”  Later on Jesus, Himself will be the one being driven from the temple by His enemies, who will then destroy the temple of His body.  That was then and this is now.  How should we recognize our “Fathers House” in our time?

            The parish church, and chapels, is the seat of God’s Eucharistic Presence.  The visible “structure” is like a sign, a memorial of the presence of God in our midst.  It is a place of prayer and worship. 

            Friends, this is not the only meaning of what the house of God means.  Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us, “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you!  So if anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.  For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are His temple.”  (1Cor. 3:16-17.)  In other words, we are the temple of God; His own house is our house.     

            Earlier in the school year, I asked the members of our first-grade class, “Where does God live?”  Here are a few of their responses; “in the parish, in the tabernacle, in the whole world, everywhere, and one student answered – inside of me.”  Perfect!

            Sisters and brothers, we have an obligation to ask ourselves, “Where does God live?”  It is a place of extraordinary beauty and forgiveness that warrants our reverence, our gratitude, our obedience, and our everlasting faith in the promises of Jesus our Blessed Lord.  

            Today let us we pray that the Coronavirus pandemic will soon be eliminated and that all of the churches around the world once again become crowded with the faithful followers of Jesus and be one with Him in the Holy Eucharist.    

Question of the Day:  Do you believe that the physical building that is the Church is a sacramental image of Jesus through the Holy Eucharist?

Prayer:   Father, give me a child’s heart.  Make me reach out to my sisters and brothers with love and compassion.  Amen. 

Prosit