Tuesday, February 8, 2022

 Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

(I Kings 8:22-23.27-30; Mark 7:1-13)

People today seldom have to be out of earshot or even sight.  The technological revolution has brought family, friends, even teachers together in unimaginable ways.  Products like Zoom and Facebook have eased the burden of the Covid pandemic.  But they cannot substitute for one another’s physical presence.  Likewise, the temple which Solomon has built performs this unique function.

In the first reading Solomon addresses the Lord regarding that temple.  He acknowledges that God cannot be restricted to it.  God is everywhere.  But, Solomon says, God has designated the Temple as His preferred place of encounter.  People are to go there to offer sacrifice of animals and, whenever possible, just to pray.

Our bodies too are temples of the Holy Spirit.  Still, we need special places of encounters with God.  These places remind us of the divine by their structure and their accoutrements.  We can and perhaps should pray everywhere.  But we cherish prayer in places designated as the “house of God.”

Monday, February 7, 2022

 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.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs

(I Kings 8:22-23.27-30; Mark 7:1-13)

The woman was upset with the Church when her son was told that he could not have his wedding at a garden ceremony.  She reasoned that if the Church allows mass to be celebrated in a home, it could permit weddings wherever the couple wished.  But most bishops insist that weddings be done in a sacred space to underscore the sacred covenant of marriage.  In his prayer that comprises the first reading today Solomon asks a question pertinent to the issue.

The king prays: “’Can it indeed be that God dwells among men on earth?  If the heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!’”  Solomon has come to the realization that God is not confined to the holy place that he has constructed.  Yet he knows that the temple raises minds and hearts to God with its lofty walls, statutes of cherubs, and perennial sacrifice.  He would say that when the temple reminds people of God’s closeness, it fulfills his purpose.

Everything on earth may be a sacrament connecting us with God, but many of those things may distract our attention from Him.  Temples and churches generally avoid the ambiguity.  We are wise like Solomon to follow his lead of praying that God watch over our churches.  People need places set apart to remind them of God’s grandeur.