READING OF THE DAY A reading from the Book of Prophet Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to John 2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER “Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?” “Oh Father, I fear the rod!” But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, mercy, love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy — not with the whip, no, with His mercy — to cleanse our hearts. With us, Jesus’ whip is His mercy. Let us open to Him the gates so that He will make us a little purer. (Angelus, 8 march 2015)
FAUSTI - The temple, the place of encounter with God, easily becomes a market. Particularly in the month around Easter, business prospered, with large profits for the priestly class that, from the service of the temple, had passed to the dominion over it and over those who frequented it. Jesus comes to destroy this system of oppression. He will pay the cost with the destruction of His Body. The Lord enters His temple to purify it, and fraternity should reign in the Father's house. The actions of Jesus remind the disciples of the scriptures, which they already know and which through Him, of which they speak, they finally understand. "The zeal of your house will devour me" It is from a Messianic Psalm (Psalm 69:10), where the suffering of Christ is spoken of, that God's zeal has devoured, like the prophet Elijah (1Kings 19:10-14). Love for the Father, where Jesus dwells, will "devour" Him on the day of His Easter. The Word of the Lord is never understood when it is spoken, but when it is fulfilled. Even if one does not understand it, it is not useless; one remembers it when the fact occurs, that without it it would not have its meaning. God directs history with His Word, which does not remain without effect (Is 55,11) and is always fulfilled in its time. A first memory of the words of Psalm 69:10 illuminated the purification of the Temple and prefigured the Passion of the Lamb. Now the memory of the Word of Jesus will illuminate His Resurrection: the disciples will then understand the meaning of the Word now heard. "Many believed in His Name" The theme of the passage is "to believe in Jesus". Not only as the Messiah, who renews the Covenant and the temple, but also as the raised Son who gives us the new heart and the new spirit, they will then understand the meaning of the Word they have now heard. Jesus has the Spirit of God who scrutinizes everything (1 Cor 2:10). The Son knows his brothers and sisters, even where they do not know each other. Eternal Life that fully happy life that man desires as the fulfillment of his humanity, is not the result of a superhuman effort, it is a gratuitous gift of the Father of life, who in the Son offers us not only to be called, but to really be his children. Whoever believes in the Son and adheres to Him is generated by God (1:13), born of the Spirit, and shares in the divine life, which is the reciprocal Love between Father and Son.
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaA reading from the Book of Prophet Ezekiel
47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to John
2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
"Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
"What sign can you show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered and said to them,
"Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews said,
"This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?"
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
“Do I allow Jesus to make my heart a little cleaner?” “Oh Father, I fear the rod!” But Jesus never strikes. Jesus cleanses with tenderness, mercy, love. Mercy is the His way of cleansing. Let us, each of us, let us allow the Lord to enter with His mercy — not with the whip, no, with His mercy — to cleanse our hearts. With us, Jesus’ whip is His mercy. Let us open to Him the gates so that He will make us a little purer. (Angelus, 8 march 2015)
FAUSTI - The temple, the place of encounter with God, easily becomes a market. Particularly in the month around Easter, business prospered, with large profits for the priestly class that, from the service of the temple, had passed to the dominion over it and over those who frequented it.
RispondiEliminaJesus comes to destroy this system of oppression. He will pay the cost with the destruction of His Body.
The Lord enters His temple to purify it, and fraternity should reign in the Father's house. The actions of Jesus remind the disciples of the scriptures, which they already know and which through Him, of which they speak, they finally understand.
"The zeal of your house will devour me" It is from a Messianic Psalm (Psalm 69:10), where the suffering of Christ is spoken of, that God's zeal has devoured, like the prophet Elijah (1Kings 19:10-14).
Love for the Father, where Jesus dwells, will "devour" Him on the day of His Easter. The Word of the Lord is never understood when it is spoken, but when it is fulfilled. Even if one does not understand it, it is not useless; one remembers it when the fact occurs, that without it it would not have its meaning. God directs history with His Word, which does not remain without effect
(Is 55,11) and is always fulfilled in its time. A first memory of the words of Psalm 69:10 illuminated the purification of the Temple and prefigured the Passion of the Lamb.
Now the memory of the Word of Jesus will illuminate His Resurrection: the disciples will then understand the meaning of the Word now heard. "Many believed in His Name" The theme of the passage is "to believe in Jesus". Not only as the Messiah, who renews the Covenant and the temple, but also as the raised Son who gives us the new heart and the new spirit, they will then understand the meaning of the Word they have now heard. Jesus has the Spirit of God who scrutinizes everything (1 Cor 2:10). The Son knows his brothers and sisters, even where they do not know each other. Eternal Life that fully happy life that man desires as the fulfillment of his humanity, is not the result of a superhuman effort, it is a gratuitous gift of the Father of life, who in the Son offers us not only to be called, but to really be his children. Whoever believes in the Son and adheres to Him is generated by God (1:13), born of the Spirit, and shares in the divine life, which is the reciprocal Love between Father and Son.