“CHRIST IS THE STRENGTH AND WISDOM OF GOD.”

“CHRIST IS THE STRENGTH AND WISDOM OF GOD.”

I remember those years when I was considering entering the seminary. At that time, I was very active in my parish, and from time to time I tried to attend a spiritual retreat that would help me better discern the things that were going through my mind. In one of these retreats, I remember that I read precisely that passage of the gospel in which Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple and his words that reminded everyone of “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Jn 2, 13-25). Imagining Jesus' actions that day in the Temple made me realize that I did not have the complete image of Jesus Christ in me. Until then, perhaps due to the immaturity of youth, I could not think of an angry, indignant Jesus, furious with others to the point of creating chaos for those who were there.

The next thing I asked myself was: What made Jesus act that way? The gospel is very clear with the answer: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” It simply could not be conceived that just in that place where God is worshiped, which is a place of prayer, a place of sacrifices, others could be deceived and abused. But so it was. By then, many arrived from other places and had to exchange their coins for the currency used in the temple and abuses occurred in the exchange, disfavoring those who arrived and benefiting those who offered the exchange. Furthermore, the weights used were altered. Deception and lying have no place in dealing with God and neighbor. Perhaps for this reason today's first reading, Sunday, reminds us of those first commands of God's law, which not only remind us of the respect that the greatness of God himself deserves, but also the respect that all people deserve in our treatment. May we heal our relationships with our neighbors during this time of Lent. May we be as fair as we are merciful in our treatment. Let us offer forgiveness for offenses, and ask forgiveness for offenses. Let the wounds we may carry be healed in Christ who comes to give us his health, his well-being, his peace, his salvation. Amen.   

Fr. Carlos Flores, OSA