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Homily for Third Sunday of Lent

READ: (Exo 20: 1-17; 1 Cor 1: 22-25; Jn 2: 13-25)

REFLECT: The manifestation of God’s power in words, the Cross of Christ and in holy places of worship…

Dear friends, we are in the third Sunday of Lent. The liturgy of the word invites us to reflect on the power of God in our lives through various ways and means. The power of God has no comparison with any other powers, because there is no power that could dominate the power of God. God is all-powerful is an attribute that we know and that’s inherent in God. God chooses to manifest his power to us in different ways and means. God does not limit his power to only certain things or objects, ways or means but God makes use of any means for the greater glory. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflections as how God manifested his power in concrete ways;

1.     The power of God in words:

We all know that the power of God’s word has an effect to change from what it is to what it is not or what it is not to what it is. God has every power to do what he wants or wishes; God could make a tiny thing mighty and a mighty thing tiny. That’s power of God’s word. The perfect example of God’s power over his word is manifested to us at the time of creation. Whenever God said, “Let there be…,” it came into being and existence. That’s the power of God’s word. Today the first reading from the book of Exodus presents to us the power of God’s words in Ten Commandment.

We have the text of the Ten Commandments appearing in three different versions in the Bible. They are in the books of Exo 20:2–17, Deut 5:6–21, and Exo 34:11–26. The mention of the Ten Commandments three times in three different places regard, how important the Ten Commandment is and as well giving the people of Israel a timely reminder to follow the Ten Commandments to live by it accordingly. The liturgy of the word from the first reading is taken from the book of Exodus 20: 2-17. The Ten Commandments are laws that God has revealed to us through Moses on the Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments are but precepts to follow and to remain closer to God by manifesting loyalty and fidelity to him. Basically, if we could look at the Ten Commandments, the first three of the Ten Commandments focuses and are pure manifestation of our love for God and the rest seven commandments out of ten are our love for others.

Pope Francis very beautifully says that “The Ten Commandments given by God are meant to protect His children from self-destruction; they are not harsh rules meant to enslave and oppress. Continuing his new series of audience talks on the Ten Commandments, the pope reflected on the biblical reference to it not as “commands” but as “words.” While a command “is a communication that requires no dialogue,” the word is “the essential means” of establishing a relationship through dialogue. Moreover, Pope Francis says “The commandments are the path to freedom because they are the word of the father who sets us free. The world does not need legalism, but care. It needs Christians with the heart of children.”

Yes, God gives us commandments to follow, so that we are protected, cared and freed from everything that makes us slaves. By the practice of the Ten Commandments we build our relationship with God. By paying heed to God through these Ten Commandments will help us and enable us to be his children and would grant us platform to live with each other genuinely and respect others with dignity.  Perhaps, if we could take the Ten Commandments a little seriously and practice it daily, we would avoid lots of problems. But most of us fail to know the Ten Commandments; we fail to understand the significance of the Ten Commandments; we fail to follow and live by the Ten Commandments. Our failure to fulfill the demands required in following the Ten Commandments keep us away from God. Let us realize that the commandments of God are to establish a covenant and communication with us his people, so that we establish relationship with God and others. So let us live by the commandments that God has given or gives to us and be committed to God and to one another in our relationships.

2.     The power of God in the Cross:

We all know what the cross meant in the ancient times. Cross was considered a shame and a fateful death experience by the robbers for their heinous crimes. But we all might wonder why Jesus had to be crucified on the cross like a criminal. Why such a fateful and miserable death on a cross? That’s what the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to First Corinthians tells us that the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. We all know that Jewish people considered, the one who hung upon a tree is cursed by God (Deut 21:23). For them, Jesus could never be a Savior and redeemer, because they consider Jesus as cursed one of God, as he was hung upon a tree or crucified over the tree. We too know that in the ancient Greco-Roman world, rhetorical eloquence was highly respected. The powerful orators received the same sort of compliments that is today lavished on movie stars and sports heroes. The Greeks would take delight and glory in their own possession of self-knowledge and wisdom. But to consider Jesus dying on the cross was not a wise thing for them. However, very beautifully St. Paul points out, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and gentiles, but to those who are called , both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” That’s the power of God. God could turn what is wise to foolish and foolish to wise. We can never underestimate the power of God and the wisdom of God. By the power of the cross of Christ, Jesus has restored us and reconciled us with his heavenly Father. Therefore, God changed our approach and understanding about the cross, from a sign of shame and sin to a sign of hope and grace.

For Jewish people laws and legislation were more important and for the Greeks wisdom was more important. However, we can never compress God as part of human laws and legislation and we cannot reduce God to human wisdom. Because, in both the ways our laws are limited and human wisdom too is limited and has its limitation. Therefore, we cannot know God through human wisdom. We can only know God when God chooses to reveal himself personally to us by way of self-manifestation. The self-revelation of God might be made in various ways and means that may seem to be foolish or weird or silly, but we can never measure the wisdom and power of God.

Today, most of us have the tendency to compress God in human ways, laws and wisdom and fail to understand that it is God who created us. We can never try to make God to come to terms with human laws and wisdom rather we have to come to terms with God’s laws and wisdom. So it is clear that foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. We need to just believe in the power of God and his ways that he uses as tool to obtain salvation. God has willed that we be saved through the cross of Christ and thus turned the symbolism of cross, a sign of disgrace to grace, a sign of defeat to a sign of victory. So let us believe in the power of the cross for us and the Christ crucified on the Cross.

3.     The power of God in his holy place:

There is a famous quote, “God is everywhere.” Yes, God is everywhere, because his presence is permeated everywhere. If God’s presence is everywhere, then we need to realize the power of God’s presence everywhere, every time and in each one of us. But most of the time we fail to realize the presence of God in each one of us, in all places and at all times. The Gospel reading of the day speaks to us Jesus’ feel and zeal for the house of God. Jesus was perhaps pained to see that the house of God is turned into a market place. That’s why Jesus says, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade or market place.” Yes, we all know what happens in the trading centre or a market place. The trading centre or market place becomes a commercial activity done for business and profit, lots of things look disorderly and lots of filth and wastages here and there. All these make the atmosphere of the place less conducive to focus on prayer.

Today, we too have made the house of prayer to a trading centers or market place. We too make lots of business for personal benefit in our churches; there is no sanctity kept or felt in churches at times because we consider it as a mere hall and not a holy place, where God dwells. Our every move to the temple or church or the holy place of God need to create an awareness of God’s presence. Then only, there will be sanctity of God’s dwelling place and the dignity of God would be sustained. So the real feel for the presence of God and the genuine reverence for God’s holy dwelling place need to spontaneously emerge from us. That would only happen when we have love for God and for his holy place. So we need to understand and realize the presence of God in and around us, especially in our churches and holy places, where God really dwells.

Pope Francis while reflecting on today’s Gospel passage says that Jesus’ action was prompted by the presence of idolaters, people who were enslaved by the idol of money. This calls for our attention and makes us think about how we treat our temples, our churches; if it is a house of God, a house of prayer, of encounter with the Lord or if it resembles a marketplace. The pope also warns that the temptation of worldliness that can turn a solemn celebration of the sacraments into a social gathering. Moreover Pope Francis invites us saying, “Let us think about the celebrations of some sacrament where you go, and you do not know if it is a place of worship, the house of God, or if it is a social hall. It is true that celebrations must be beautiful, but not worldly, because worldliness derives from the god of money. It is also an idolatry.”

Yes, We all need to give a serious thought to it and ask ourselves whether we really feel that the worship place is a place of God or a mere hall for social gathering for fun and entertainment?  We have a feel at times that church is not a worship place rather a workshop to meet and to discuss.  Our churches at times become a fashion show because of our dress code. Our Churches at times become a place of business for selling and buying commodities, advertising; our churches at times become a party house or a place of gossip etc. So let us remember the words of Jesus “not turn the house of prayer to a market place.” It is a warning and a reminder for us to consider the house of prayer as a place of worship and give its due homage by creating an ambience for prayer and worship. Let us pray that we first and foremost keep our inner-temple, the heart clean and treasure in it Jesus, I am sure, once we treasure Jesus in heart personally, we would treasure and manifest our utmost reverence to God in public worship places too.

RESPOND:

Do we believe that the power of God is manifested in words or the Ten Commandments?

Do we believe that the power of God is manifested in the cross of Christ?

Do we believe that the power of God is made manifest in holy places, where God dwells?

Let us believe in the power of God manifested in his words, the cross of Christ and the places of worship, where God is truly present and manifest his power of healing and strength with others. Amen.

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968