DAILY HOMILIES #temple

As we struggle to make progress in our spiritual lives every day, let us realize that every step we make in the right direction pisses off the devil more and more. This is a truth clearly hidden from the worldly-minded; a truth which St. Paul says in our first reading, always sounds like mere gibberish to the unspiritual man.

God did not prevent the apostles from being arrested but He rescued them from prison. Sometimes, it may look as though our enemies are succeeding but God always has a plan. Be patient. By freeing the apostles from prison, God made it clear to the high priest and his companions that nothing, not even the prison chains can stop the message of salvation from reaching the ends of the earth.

God dwells in a special way in the temple. That is why Jesus would go to the temple to drive out the money changers saying: “My House (that is, God’s dwelling place) shall be a house of prayer…” (Matthew 21:13).

To say a building or any object at all is dedicated to God is to say such can never be used for any other purpose other than for God. This is because, by the act of dedication, the presence of God has been invoked upon such.

Isn’t it high time we cleansed our temples from profit-making enterprises? Isn’t it high time we cleansed our hearts from the love of money which hides under the false pretext of serving God? Isn’t it high time we stopped flocking around self-acclaimed miracle workers as if we need Jesus to constantly prove himself to us over and over again?