READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of Exodus Ex 20:1-17
In those days, God delivered all these commandments: “I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation; but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you. You shall not kill. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything else that belongs to him.”
The Law of Yahweh is perfect, new life for the soul; the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy, wisdom for the simple.
19:8 The precepts of Yahweh are upright, joy for the heart; the commandment of Yahweh is clear, light for the eyes.
19:9 The fear of Yahweh is pure, lasting for ever; the judgements of Yahweh are true, righteous, every one,
19:10 more desirable than gold, even than the finest gold; his words are sweeter than honey, even than honey that drips from the comb.
19:11 Thus your servant is formed by them, observance brings great reward.
19:12 But who can detect his own failings? Wash out my hidden faults.
19:13 And from pride preserve your servant, never let it dominate me. So shall I be above reproach, free from grave sin.
19:14 May the words of my mouth always find favour, and the whispering of my heart, in your presence, Yahweh, my Rock, my Redeemer!
Second reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor 1:22-25
Brothers and sisters: Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to John Jn 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER It is very harmful when the Church goes astray with this manner of making the house of God a house of trade. These words help us to reject the danger of also making our soul, which is God’s dwelling place, a house of trade, by living in constant search of our personal interests instead of generous and supportive love. (…) It is a common temptation to exploit good, sometimes dutiful deeds in order to cultivate private, if not entirely illicit interests. (…) This is why Jesus used “a harsh approach” that time, in order to shake us from this mortal danger. (Angelus, 4 March 2018)
FAUSTI - "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up". , Jesus says in the Temple. At Cana He showed where He dwells :in joy and love. Now, having come into the Temple, His residence par excellence, He takes the whip because He finds something else. To understand the gesture, as always, we must imagine that Jesus is doing now what He did then. What would we say if we saw Him today with the whip, in the various religious or secular temples? Would He not put into crisis many of our peaceful habits, which concern the Temple, that is, God Himself and our way of relating to Him? His gesture is prophetic in two senses. First . He is in the line of the prophets, who are always critical towards institutions, which are aimed more at the interests of those in power than at the purpose for which they were created. Second . It is a prophetic gesture, like those of Jeremiah (Jer 13:1 - 19:1 - 27:1...), that symbolically anticipates the Mission of Jesus. The scourge, a sign of the evil within the temple, will fall upon Himself: what He does now is a prediction of His death and Resurrection. The identity of the people of Israel is based on the Covenant, the Temple, the Law. The kings and the priests are its custodians, and, like every custodian, they tend to become masters. For this reason in Israel, besides the institution of kings and priests, there is the anti-institution of prophets. The prophets are the talking cricket of conscience, calling us out of hypocrisy, lies and oppression. Like theirs, Jesus' ministry has only one power, that of the Word. With it, at Cana, he initiates the New Covenant; now, in Jerusalem, He proclaims Himself the New Temple, and then gives the New Law. If the Covenant at Cana lacks wine, the Temple, in Jerusalem, is reduced to a den of thieves. Jesus, just as He made " beautiful wine" out of water, so He will make the destroyed Temple the Father's house. He Himself, Word become flesh, is the New Temple, the place of communion between God and man. This text is read from the point of view of purification, even the abolition of the Temple by Jesus. It is true that the Lamb of God (1,29-36), taking the place of YHWH, enters the Temple, purifies the cult and abolishes with His every other sacrifice: the sacrifice of God to man takes the place of the many sacrifices of man to God. Jesus speaks of destruction and reconstruction: the true Sanctuary, by superimposition, will be His Body, killed and Risen, where the Father is Worshipped in Spirit and Truth.
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of Exodus
Ex 20:1-17
In those days, God delivered all these commandments:
“I, the LORD, am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.
You shall not carve idols for yourselves
in the shape of anything in the sky above
or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth;
you shall not bow down before them or worship them.
For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God,
inflicting punishment for their fathers’ wickedness
on the children of those who hate me,
down to the third and fourth generation;
but bestowing mercy down to the thousandth generation
on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.
For the LORD will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.
“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Six days you may labor and do all your work,
but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD, your God.
No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,
or your male or female slave, or your beast,
or by the alien who lives with you.
In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
but on the seventh day he rested.
That is why the LORD has blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the LORD, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”
The Law of Yahweh is perfect, new life for the soul; the decree of Yahweh is trustworthy, wisdom for the simple.
19:8 The precepts of Yahweh are upright, joy for the heart; the commandment of Yahweh is clear, light for the eyes.
19:9 The fear of Yahweh is pure, lasting for ever; the judgements of Yahweh are true, righteous, every one,
19:10 more desirable than gold, even than the finest gold; his words are sweeter than honey, even than honey that drips from the comb.
19:11 Thus your servant is formed by them, observance brings great reward.
19:12 But who can detect his own failings? Wash out my hidden faults.
19:13 And from pride preserve your servant, never let it dominate me. So shall I be above reproach, free from grave sin.
19:14 May the words of my mouth always find favour, and the whispering of my heart, in your presence, Yahweh, my Rock, my Redeemer!
Second reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians
1 Cor 1:22-25
Brothers and sisters:
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we proclaim Christ crucified,
a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom,
and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFrom the Gospel according to John
Jn 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,
many began to believe in his name
when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all,
and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
It is very harmful when the Church goes astray with this manner of making the house of God a house of trade. These words help us to reject the danger of also making our soul, which is God’s dwelling place, a house of trade, by living in constant search of our personal interests instead of generous and supportive love. (…) It is a common temptation to exploit good, sometimes dutiful deeds in order to cultivate private, if not entirely illicit interests. (…) This is why Jesus used “a harsh approach” that time, in order to shake us from this mortal danger. (Angelus, 4 March 2018)
FAUSTI - "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up". , Jesus says in the Temple.
RispondiEliminaAt Cana He showed where He dwells :in joy and love. Now, having come into the Temple, His residence par excellence, He takes the whip because He finds something else. To understand the gesture, as always, we must imagine that Jesus is doing now what He did then. What would we say if we saw Him today with the whip, in the various religious or secular temples? Would He not put into crisis many of our peaceful habits, which concern the Temple, that is, God Himself and our way of relating to Him?
His gesture is prophetic in two senses.
First . He is in the line of the prophets, who are always critical towards institutions, which are aimed more at the interests of those in power than at the purpose for which they were created.
Second . It is a prophetic gesture, like those of Jeremiah (Jer 13:1 - 19:1 - 27:1...), that symbolically anticipates the Mission of Jesus.
The scourge, a sign of the evil within the temple, will fall upon Himself: what He does now is a prediction of His death and Resurrection.
The identity of the people of Israel is based on the Covenant, the Temple, the Law.
The kings and the priests are its custodians, and, like every custodian, they tend to become masters.
For this reason in Israel, besides the institution of kings and priests, there is the anti-institution of prophets.
The prophets are the talking cricket of conscience, calling us out of hypocrisy, lies and oppression. Like theirs, Jesus' ministry has only one power, that of the Word.
With it, at Cana, he initiates the New Covenant; now, in Jerusalem, He proclaims Himself the New Temple, and then gives the New Law.
If the Covenant at Cana lacks wine, the Temple, in Jerusalem, is reduced to a den of thieves.
Jesus, just as He made " beautiful wine" out of water, so He will make the destroyed Temple the Father's house.
He Himself, Word become flesh, is the New Temple, the place of communion between God and man.
This text is read from the point of view of purification, even the abolition of the Temple by Jesus. It is true that the Lamb of God (1,29-36), taking the place of YHWH, enters the Temple, purifies the cult and abolishes with His every other sacrifice: the sacrifice of God to man takes the place of the many sacrifices of man to God.
Jesus speaks of destruction and reconstruction: the true Sanctuary, by superimposition, will be His Body, killed and Risen, where the Father is Worshipped in Spirit and Truth.