Tuesday of the
Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezra 6:7-8.12b.14-20; Luke 8:19-21)
Washington, D.C. is said to be the first important city
created without a church at its center.
Rather the city features the huge domed capital building, the stately
White House, and the tributes to three of the country’s greatest presidents. It was no doubt a deliberate omission on the
part of the city’s planners. They may
well have meant no affront to the Almighty but only wanted to stay clear of
religious preference. In any case, the
Jews in today’s first reading do not hesitate to give due prominence to the house of God.
At this juncture in history the Jews are a broken
people. Their once great royalty has
been humiliated and deposed. Their
capital was destroyed, and many of its citizens sent into exile. Then the Persians conquered Babylonia, and their
kings, Cyrus and Darius, came to the people’s rescue. The kings allowed the Jews to return to their
native land and even contributed funds to rebuild the temple. Once again God is seen as taking pity on lowly
Israel. The temple being constructed
will be a tribute to Israel’s merciful Lord.
Likewise we must recognize God’s eternal mercy. Beyond family and community, God has given us
His Son, Jesus Christ, to follow. He himself
serves as a kind of temple. In him we
offer fitting praise to the Father. In
him we find the locus of peace.
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