Br. Justin Mpuruta sx
Today, we are celebrating the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Holy Father, in Rome. Each congregation celebrates each year the dedication of its church. And this celebration is more a thanksgiving and an opportunity of conversion. Each member of the Christian community in this occasion let himself rebuilt like living stone into a spiritual temple which Christ is the Foundation as Saint Paul reminds us. Just as the Prophet Ezekiel recounts his vision of the wonderful and superabundant stream flowing from the Temple, restoring to fertility traditional arid ground and bringing life and blessings where it reaches, our lives have barren corners to be fertilazed by the grace of God. Saint Paul reminds us that we (individually and as community) are Temple of God (God’s buildings). Consequently, any attack against its integrity is an attack against God himself. Thus, when the Gospel tells us the episode of the purification of the Temple by Jesus, we move from the old way of worship God (in the Temple’s Jew) to the new worship “in Spirit and truth” (Jn 4, 23), considering Christ himself as living Temple which can imitate his followers that we are.
From these readings, we rejoice and affirm: “Behold God’s dwelling with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself with them will be their God” (Rev 21, 3). So, buy the presence of the Church, we experience the reality of the Incarnation as we sing with the Psalmist “The Lord of hosts is with us” (Ps 46, 8). So, what decisions can we make for purify our faith and our relationship with God, his dwelling amongst us and within us in today’s world? When do we feel that we’re temple of God?
The today’s world is fighting against God and all his dwellings in many ways. So, the work of the Church as Symbol of the Kingdom of God is to promote justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We will accomplish such work by fighting against the exploitation of the poor (who are sacrament of the Church and Christ) and of the environnement (Home of God), the manipulation of the human body and its commercialization, mostly in sexuality. Let us participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with dignity and respect and live what we celebrate; then we will overcome the desacralization that is experienced in all its forms.
Most of the times, we are Christians and promoters of divisions in our communities, corruption in our countries, prostitution and kind of anti-values all over. Let us remember that organized worship and laws for parcipating in it remain very important if worship is motivated by Spirit and truth. God mocks our hypocritical liturgical folklore. Let us allow God to work in our life and exorcise our inner temples. We are not worthy to receive God under our roof. May his grace help us, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Amen!
Today, we are celebrating the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Holy Father, in Rome. Each congregation celebrates each year the dedication of its church. And this celebration is more a thanksgiving and an opportunity of conversion. Each member of the Christian community in this occasion let himself rebuilt like living stone into a spiritual temple which Christ is the Foundation as Saint Paul reminds us. Just as the Prophet Ezekiel recounts his vision of the wonderful and superabundant stream flowing from the Temple, restoring to fertility traditional arid ground and bringing life and blessings where it reaches, our lives have barren corners to be fertilazed by the grace of God. Saint Paul reminds us that we (individually and as community) are Temple of God (God’s buildings). Consequently, any attack against its integrity is an attack against God himself. Thus, when the Gospel tells us the episode of the purification of the Temple by Jesus, we move from the old way of worship God (in the Temple’s Jew) to the new worship “in Spirit and truth” (Jn 4, 23), considering Christ himself as living Temple which can imitate his followers that we are.
From these readings, we rejoice and affirm: “Behold God’s dwelling with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself with them will be their God” (Rev 21, 3). So, buy the presence of the Church, we experience the reality of the Incarnation as we sing with the Psalmist “The Lord of hosts is with us” (Ps 46, 8). So, what decisions can we make for purify our faith and our relationship with God, his dwelling amongst us and within us in today’s world? When do we feel that we’re temple of God?
The today’s world is fighting against God and all his dwellings in many ways. So, the work of the Church as Symbol of the Kingdom of God is to promote justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We will accomplish such work by fighting against the exploitation of the poor (who are sacrament of the Church and Christ) and of the environnement (Home of God), the manipulation of the human body and its commercialization, mostly in sexuality. Let us participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with dignity and respect and live what we celebrate; then we will overcome the desacralization that is experienced in all its forms.
Most of the times, we are Christians and promoters of divisions in our communities, corruption in our countries, prostitution and kind of anti-values all over. Let us remember that organized worship and laws for parcipating in it remain very important if worship is motivated by Spirit and truth. God mocks our hypocritical liturgical folklore. Let us allow God to work in our life and exorcise our inner temples. We are not worthy to receive God under our roof. May his grace help us, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Amen!