Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings
8:1-7.9-13; Mark 6:53-56)
The
magnificent cathedral of Chartres was not built by paid professionals but by the
faithful townspeople. They gave their skill
and work to construct a fitting place for the Lord. Many small towns in Costa Rica have churches
that were likewise built by local residents.
They are not on the scale of Chartres, but they testify to humble faith.
Todays’
first reading narrates the introduction of the Ark of the Covenant into
Solomon’s Temple. The Ark was not only
the sanctuary of the tablets of the Law but also the dwelling place of the
Almighty according to His own prescription.
The temple was a magnificent structure, built by faith with resources
which Solomon’s prosperous kingdom provided.
As magnificent
as it and the great churches of Christianity are, they are not the only temples
of the Lord. We should never forget that
each of us is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit dwells within us by means of Jesus’ death and
resurrection. Our faith in the Spirit’s presence
magnifies the dignity of our bodies. Our
worthy moral lives maintain the dignity of the structures until we dwell with
the Lord in eternity.
