THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
(Exodus 20:1-17; I Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25)
Years ago there was a television drama that caught some
attention. A man leaves his town to learn everything there is to learn in the
world. He goes to Washington to read all the books in the Library of Congress.
After years he returns with his knowledge. The people arrange up an opportunity
for him to provide the gist of his discovery. When the time comes, the whole
town gathers to listen to him. He begins: “This is what I learned: 'I am the
Lord your God... You shall have no other gods besides me... You shall not
misuse the name of the Lord your God... Remember to keep the Sabbath holy...
Honor your father and your mother...'” Yes, according to the drama the Ten
Commandments summarize the wisdom of the ages.
The Ten Commandments have a particular place in Christian as
well as Jewish life. The Book of Exodus reports that God wrote them with his
own finger. He has given them to humans as a pure gift. God does not need our
compliance with these orders. However, unless we heed them, we cannot have
happiness that lasts. By following the commandments we can overcome the great
errors that are weakening society and leading to personal destruction. They do
not allow individualism that ignores the responsibilities we have towards each
other and towards community. On the contrary, we must honor our parents,
refrain from taking what belongs to others, and as a corollary, support the
common good.
The Ten Commandments also stand against relativism that says
there are no objective laws but rather every person and every society have to
create their own laws. Here are ten incontrovertible laws for everyone.
Likewise, the Ten Commandments do not cede any ground to materialism. They
recognize spiritual values such as God first and then honesty, honor, the
sanctity of marriage, and many others.
As great as the gift of the Ten Commandments is, God has
given humans something more superlative. The gospel today teaches that Jesus
has arrived to replace the Temple as the meeting place between God and humans.
The purification of business from the Temple comprises only the first step of
his program. His own body resurrected from the dead will be the new Temple for people
to worship God. Saint Paul informs us that the resurrected body of Christ is
the Church.
Now the person does not need to go to Jerusalem to offer
sacrifices that please God. Wherever the Eucharist is celebrated, Christ is
present giving God the Father the perfect sacrifice. In fact, Christ is found
in all the sacraments of the Church. He is present in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, forgiving the sinner's offenses and strengthening his or her
spirit to avoid sin.
The gospel passage ends with a negative evaluation of men
and women. It says that Jesus does not trust them because he knows human nature
very well. This means our propensity to
sin. Individualism, relativism, and materialism have penetrated the human heart
with such force that the Ten Commandments alone are enough to control them.
Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation Jesus finds us turning to him for
spiritual help as we confess our sins. It is a private space where we can open
ourselves completely to God in an act that is both humble and uplifting.
During this time of Lent we can imagine Jesus purifying our lives with the Sacrament of Reconciliation as he cleanses the Temple in the gospel today. He makes us true temples of the Holy Spirit from which acts of thanks and praise rise to God the Father.
