First Sunday of Advent, Year A. Nov. 30, 2025

First Sunday of Advent, Year A. Nov. 30, 2025

Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44

 

Theme: Repent and Always Stay Awake Until the Coming of our Lord

A. A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 24:37-44

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

Our Gospel passage comes from the part where Jesus teaches about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and the signs of the end times (24:1-51). In this section, Jesus predicted the destruction of Jerusalem’s temple (24:1-2), and his disciples asked him when this destruction would occur and what signs would precede his coming and the end of the age (24:3). Our Gospel passage is part of Jesus’ response. Before this text, Jesus described the beginning of calamities (vv. 4-14), the great tribulation of the “desolating abomination” (vv. 15-28), his second coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (vv. 29-31), and the parable of the Fig Tree, which taught them how to discern the proximity of the end of the age (vv. 32-35). Immediately following our text is the parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant, which concludes this section and through which Jesus urges his disciples to be faithful and prudent (vv. 45-51).

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Our Gospel passage is an apocalyptic discourse with analogies and parables. It can be divided into two parts. In the first part, Jesus likens the days leading up to his second coming to the days that preceded Noah’s flood event (vv. 37-39), and in the second part, through some brief parables, he exhorts his disciples to remain vigilant at all times (vv. 40-44).  

 

3.       Detailed Analysis

Vv. 37-39. In the first part of our Gospel, Jesus compares the days preceding the flood in Noah’s time to the days leading up to his second coming and the last judgment. The people in Noah’s time did not know when the flood would come. They perished because of their unreadiness. In this comparison, Jesus warns his disciples that the same will be true at his second coming and the final judgment. The disciples have nothing to do with the lack of knowledge of when the end of time occurs because God is the only one who knows the day and hour (see v. 36). What they can do is always stay prepared to escape eternal condemnation.

 Vv. 40-44. Jesus illustrates his teaching with some parables in the second part of our Gospel (vv. 40-44). The parable about the two men working in the field and the two women grinding at the mill, among whom one will be taken, and one will be left, teaches that eternal salvation and eternal condemnation are both factual and imminent. The parable about “the master of the house and the thief” emphasizes the necessity of always being ready and prepared, as nobody knows when the end of time will occur. 

 

4.      Synthesis

Jesus discussed his second coming and the final judgment with his disciples. He first likened the days leading to the end of time and the last judgment with the days that preceded the flood’s event in Noah’s time. In this comparison and through various parables, he emphasized that the end time and the last judgment are both actual and imminent, and no one knows when they will occur. Consequently, the faithful are called to remain vigilant at all times and be prepared to be saved.

B. Pastoral Implications

 

1. Liturgical Context

The hope candle is lit in our Advent wreath, reminding us to wait for Jesus with hope. The scripture readings we just heard teach us what to do while waiting for Jesus’ coming. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah calls his fellow Israelites, who were waiting for the “day of the Lord,” to walk in the light of the Lord and let God instruct them in his way. The Gospel teaches us that the end of time and the last judgment are actual and imminent. We must repent and remain vigilant. Saint Paul asks the Roman faithful to do the same thing in the second reading. He exhorts them to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light now, not postponing it because the hour is nearer.

 

2. What the Church Teaches Us Today

In the first part of our Gospel (24:37-39), Jesus warns us today that what happened in Noah’s time will also apply to his second coming and the final judgment. Therefore, unlike the people of Noah’s time, we should repent, remain vigilant, and avoid returning to our sinful lives until our day of salvation. Jesus illustrates his teaching with parables in the second part of our Gospel (vv. 40-44). The parable of the two men working in the field and the two women grinding at the mill, among whom one will be taken and one will be left (vv. 40-41), teaches us that eternal salvation and eternal condemnation are real and imminent. The parable of “the master of the house and the thief” emphasizes the necessity for us to always be ready, as nobody knows when the end of time will occur. The first reading imparts the same lesson.

 The first reading presents Isaiah’s vision of the “Mountain of the Lord’s house” (Mount Zion), which refers to the Church that Jesus established at the Last Supper. He prophesies that in the coming days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established as the highest mountain, elevated above the hills (Is 2:2). This vision finds its fulfillment in Jesus when he celebrated the Last Supper and instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist (Mass) in the Upper Room, located on the same Mount Zion mentioned by Isaiah.

Jesus established his Church and elevated it higher. All nations, including us today, will stream towards it as we do here and now. Our Local Church embodies this “mountain of the Lord’s house.” Every time we attend Mass, we are sacramentally brought into the “Upper Room on this Mount Zion” and renew our covenant with him. Coming to Church symbolizes ascending to the house of the Lord, as Isaiah encourages us: “Come and climb the Lord’s Mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths” (Is 2:3). Through the scripture readings and homilies that we hear at each Mass, God instructs us, not in the way we desire, but in his ways. He guides us not in the direction we choose but in his direction.

Isaiah continues by stating that the people “shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again” (Is 2:4). God’s word and instruction lead the nation of Israel to repentance, prompting them to settle their disputes rather than resort to war. Similarly, God’s Word and the homilies we hear at each Mass should transform us and encourage us to repent of all sins. Isaiah concludes this passage by inviting us to walk in the Lord’s light. This means that after leaving our sins behind, we should remain ever-vigilant so as not to return to our old ways. 

In our second reading, Saint Paul advises us not to postpone repentance but to do so now, because salvation is nearer (Rm 13:11). May the liturgy of this first Sunday of Advent enable us to repent and remain vigilant until the day of our salvation. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

34th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C & The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – Nov. 23, 2025

 

34^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C &

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – Nov. 23, 2025

2 Samuel 5:1-3; Colossians 1:12-20; Luke 23:35-43

 

Theme: “Jesus, Remember Me When You Come Into Your Kingdom”

 

A.                A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 23:35-43

 

1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

This Gospel passage is found toward the end of the Passion Narrative (chap. 22-23). In recounting Jesus's Crucifixion, Luke aims to demonstrate to his readers how Jesus, the King of the Universe, differs from the kings of this world and that believers' destiny is with him. The story of Jesus’s way of the cross (23:26-32) comes before our text, while the accounts of Jesus’s death (23:44-49) and burial (23:50-56) follow it, marking the conclusion of the Passion Narrative.

 

2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

Besides vv. 33-34, which the lectionary omitted from our reading, this story can be divided into two parts, illustrating the two opposite attitudes of the people in the scene: the mockery from a group of people (vv. 35-39) and the recognition of Jesus’s kingship from the repentant thief (vv. 40-43).

 

3.      Detailed Analysis

In this scene of Jesus’ crucifixion, Luke shows that Jesus is the King over all earthly rulers by comparing two groups of people. The rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal, on one side, represent those who do not believe in Jesus’ kingship, while the second criminal, on the other side, symbolizes those who do believe. 

Vv. 35-39. The rulers “sneer” at Jesus and question his divine mission as Savior. The soldiers “jeer” at him and doubt his divine kingship. The first criminal “mocks” him and doubts his divine identity as Messiah. These rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal represent all people who do not recognize Jesus as Savior, King, and Messiah. Consequently, they are not deserving of eternal life in God’s kingdom, where Jesus Christ is the King.

Vv. 40-43. The repentant criminal represents the second group of people who recognize Jesus' kingship and deserve the eternal life he offers. This second criminal rebukes his fellow criminal, urging them to fear God instead, because, unlike Jesus, the innocent, they are justly condemned for their crimes. Then, he makes a solemn prayer to Jesus: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Through this prayer, this second criminal, unlike the rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal, acknowledges Jesus as Savior, Messiah, and King. Unlike the first criminal, he does not ask Jesus to save him in this life but instead to grant him eternal life when Jesus comes into his kingdom at the end of the age. Here, this second criminal believes in three things: Jesus’ kingship, Jesus’ second coming, and the resurrection of the dead for the eternal salvation of the righteous and the eternal punishment of the wicked. Jesus sees in this criminal a person worthy of eternal life. That is why He grants him his final wish: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 

4.      Synthesis

In this scene of Jesus’ crucifixion, Luke contrasts two groups of people to show that Jesus is the King over all earthly rulers. The rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal represent those who do not believe in Jesus’s kingship. In the Gospel, they mock Jesus and question his divine identity as Savior, King, and Messiah. The second criminal represents those who believe in Jesus’ kingship. In the Gospel, he trusts in the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation that Jesus offers to the righteous at the resurrection when he (Jesus) returns as the King of the Universe at the end of the age. Because of his sincere repentance and faith in Jesus, Jesus promises him, and all those who repent and believe in his kingship, eternal life in God’s kingdom, where he (Jesus) is the King.

 

B.                 Pastoral Implications

 

1.      Liturgical Context

Congratulations to all of us for completing this Liturgical Calendar Year C. It has been a meaningful journey this year exploring the teachings of Jesus from the Lukan perspective. Today, we mark the end of this liturgical journey with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Our Holy Mother Church presents the Scripture readings related to Jesus' Passion, not to remember our Lord’s Passion, but to reflect on his kingship, which these Bible readings clearly reveal. As all the tribes of Israel acknowledged David as their king in our first reading, the repentant thief recognized Jesus’s kingship in our Gospel. Indeed, Jesus is the King of the Universe because he is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation, as Saint Paul tells us in our second reading. Therefore, let us accept Jesus as the king of our lives and, consequently, live accordingly to the rules of his kingdom. 

 

2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today

Our first reading should be understood in the context of when David was ruling over some of the tribes of Israel during King Saul's reign. The section we heard in our first reading is when King Saul died, and all the tribes acknowledged David's kingship and asked him to be their king as well. Pay attention to the words of recognition they used: “Here we are, your bone and your flesh” (2 Sam 5:1). Like the people of Israel, the Church calls us to believe that the Crucified Jesus is the “bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh,” therefore, he is the King of the Universe.

In our Gospel, Luke shows that our Lord Jesus is the King of the Universe by contrasting two groups of people. On one side, the rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal represent all those today who do not believe in Jesus’ kingship, and therefore are not deserving of eternal salvation in God’s kingdom. On the other side, the second criminal symbolizes all those who believe in Jesus' kingship and, as a result, will inherit eternal life in God’s kingdom, where Jesus reigns as King.

Unlike the rulers, soldiers, and the first criminal who ridicule Jesus and question his divine identity as Savior, Messiah, and King (vv. 35-39), the second criminal believes in Jesus’ kingship. He shows this when he rebukes his fellow criminal in vv. 40-41, telling him to fear God and admit that Jesus is innocent, while they are sinners, and their punishment matches their crimes. The repentant thief believes that Jesus, the innocent one, does not try to change his destiny, even though he has the power to do so. He sees in Jesus' crucifixion a sign that Jesus willingly sympathizes with sinners and saves those who repent. That is why he prays to Jesus: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (v. 42). The Church calls us to admit our sins, regret them, and confess to receive God’s forgiveness. Additionally, when we face our own suffering, we should believe that the crucified Jesus sympathizes with us.

Note that in his prayer, the repentant thief does not ask Jesus to save him in this life, just as his fellow criminal did. Instead, he prays for his eternal salvation in God’s kingdom, where Jesus sits as a King. Here, the Church teaches us about the new life we receive after confessing our sins, which alludes to the eternal salvation we will enjoy in heaven at the end of our earthly journey. Also, through his prayer, the repentant thief believes in three things, which our Holy Mother Church teaches us today: (1) Jesus will return as King one day; (2) the final judgment is imminent; (3) the resurrection of the dead, where the righteous are granted eternal salvation and the wicked everlasting condemnation, is a reality. Therefore, let us live our lives accordingly. When we do, Jesus promises us eternal salvation, as he did with the repentant criminal, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Thus, what we need to do is thank him every day, as Saint Paul recommends in our second reading, because he made us fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light (Col 1:12).

May the liturgy of this Mass help us accept Jesus as the King of our lives, and may we follow the rules of his kingship. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Parish in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

 

 

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Nov. 16, 2025

 

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Nov. 16, 2025

Malachi 3:19-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19

 

Theme: We Should Not Worry About the End of Time, But Rather Focus on Our Christian Mission

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of Luke 21:5-19

 

            1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

Luke addressed this story to a community struggling to live by faith. The people believed that Jesus, who had been raised from the dead, would return soon. However, as time went on, the delay in Jesus’ return caused doubt and challenged their beliefs about his second coming. So, their focus was on knowing exactly when Jesus would return and what signs might indicate his arrival. In Chapter 21, where our Gospel passage comes from, Luke told them that Jesus himself had predicted the end of time, explained the signs and events that would happen before it, and spoke of his second coming. Before the section of our passage, Luke told his readers about the tensions between the Jewish religious leaders and Jesus (chapter 20), and in Chapter 22, he began the Passion narrative.  

 

            2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

This apocalyptic story can be divided into three parts. Jesus first foretells the destruction of the Temple in the context of an eschatological event (vv. 5-6). Second, he responds to their questions about when and the signs of this event (vv. 7-11). Third, he predicts the persecutions of believers before all this happens (vv. 12-19).   

 

            3.      Detailed Analysis

Vv. 5-6. Jesus begins his teaching by predicting the destruction of the temple that the people admire. This is the temple that Herod the Great started building and was finished in AD 66. It was completely destroyed in AD 70, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction at that time.

Vv. 7-11. While Jesus refers to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, people want to learn more about the end of time. Through their question in v. 7, they seek to understand the exact timing of the end of the age and the signs that will come before it. In his response, Jesus warns them to stay alert so they will not be misled by many false prophets who will appear claiming to predict the end of time in his name. For Jesus, wars, insurrections, earthquakes, famines, and plagues around the world, along with remarkable sights and great signs from the sky, will happen first, but this does not mean the end of the age. So, believers should not be terrified.

Vv. 12-19. Instead of worrying about knowing precisely when the end of time will happen and the signs that will come before it, Jesus wants them to focus on their mission of serving others and enduring persecutions and sufferings related to it. He reveals that believers will be hated even by their own close relatives because of his name. While some believers will die physically as a result of persecution (v. 16b), their souls will not be destroyed (v. 18) because of their perseverance (v. 19) in keeping their faith in Jesus.

  

            4.      Synthesis

During Luke's time, people were concerned about the delay of Jesus’s return at the end of the age. They wanted to know precisely when it would happen and what signs would appear beforehand. In this passage, Luke explains that Jesus himself addressed these concerns. Jesus first urged people to stay alert so they would not be deceived by false prophets claiming to predict the end of time in his name. Second, he clarified that wars, rebellions, famine, and natural disasters like earthquakes are all expected, but they do not signify the end of time, so people must not be afraid. Instead of worrying about when the end will come and what signs to watch for, Luke encourages his believers to focus on their mission of proclaiming the Word of God and enduring persecution and suffering for it. Even if some are put to death because of Jesus’s name, this death will be physical; their souls will not be destroyed because of their perseverance.         

  

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

            1.      Liturgical Context

As we approach the end of this liturgical year C, the Church invites us today to meditate on Scripture readings related to Jesus’ second coming at the end of the age. The first reading describes the day that marks the end of time as the Day of Judgment, blazing like an oven. The Gospel and Second Reading encourage us not to be afraid or worried about when this day will come or what signs to watch for. Instead, we should focus on our mission as Christians, endure persecution and suffering for it, and continue working to earn our own food.

 

 

            2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today  

Our Holy Mother Church reminds us that Jesus’ second coming at the end of time and final judgment, which will punish the wicked and reward the righteous, will happen someday. The prophet Malachi describes this more clearly in our first reading. He tells us that the “last day,” blazing like an oven, will set all the proud and evildoers on fire, while those who fear God will enjoy the sun of justice, with its healing rays. So, like Luke’s contemporaries in our Gospel, we also fear the end of time today. We want to know exactly when Jesus will return and try to interpret our daily sufferings, including wars and natural disasters, as signs of the approaching end of time. Our Holy Mother Church teaches us two things based on Jesus’ answer to the question that the people asked him about the exact day and events that will mark the end of time.

First, Jesus urges us to stay alert and not be deceived by false prophets who claim to predict the end of time in his name. He explains that wars, rebellions, famine, and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, are all expected, but they do not mean the end of time. So, we should not be afraid (v. 9-11).

Second, Jesus shifts our focus from worrying about when the end of times will come to the importance of our mission as Christians right now. Instead of worrying about when the end of the age will come, we should focus on serving others and ourselves today so that we can reach heaven when the end arrives. Saint Paul teaches the Thessalonian Christians and us the same lesson in our second reading.

The context of the second reading is that many Thessalonians had stopped working because they were worried about “the Day of the Lord,” which refers to the second coming of Jesus. They thought that if everything was about to end and Christ was returning for the final judgment, then there was no point in exerting themselves. Today, many of us act similarly, not necessarily because of the end of the world but because of various other trials we face. Due to the sufferings we experience daily, many people feel like everything is over, and therefore, there is no need to make further effort. Here, Saint Paul urges us not to be alarmed but to keep working quietly. He invites us to imitate him and his companions as they worked tirelessly day and night in toil and hardship.

As we continue to work both spiritually and physically, Jesus, as presented in our Gospel, reminds us that it may not be easy. We may be betrayed and hated by our close ones (parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, and friends) because of Jesus’ name. He encourages us not to give up but to endure all these sufferings (including death) because our eternal salvation matters. The Gospel reading concludes with an invitation to persevere. “By your perseverance, you will secure your lives” (Lk 21:19).

May the liturgy of this Mass help us to not be afraid of the future, especially the end of time and final judgment, but instead focus daily on our baptismal mission. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Church in Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Coordinator

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C & Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome – Nov. 9, 2025

 

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome – Nov. 9, 2025

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22

 

Theme: “Stop Making My Father’s House a Marketplace”

 

A.    A Brief Exegetical Analysis of John 2:13-22

 

            1.      Historical and Literary Contexts

In the Gospel of John, right after the Prologue (1:1-18), comes the section known as the Book of Signs (1:19–12:50), where the narrator reveals Jesus’ divine identity. Our Gospel, taken from this larger section, directly follows the account of the first sign, the Wedding at Cana (2:1-12), and comes before the story of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (3:1-21). Through our passage, the sacred author aims to show his community that Jesus’s body is the new temple.

 

            2.      Form, Structure, and Movement

This story, rich in imagery, is divided into two main sections besides the introduction (v. 13) and the conclusion (vv. 23-25), which the lectionary has omitted from our reading. In the first section, Jesus drives out the sellers and buyers from the temple area (vv. 14-17), and in the second section (vv. 18-22), he argues with the Jews about the temple. Each section ends with a comment on how Jesus’ disciples respond.     

 

            3.      Detailed Analysis

V. 13. The Passover is the Jewish festival during which the people of Israel annually remember their ancestors’ liberation from Egypt. The Gospel of John mentions Jesus attending this celebration in the temple three times. Our Gospel story covers his first time. The second time is noted in Jn 6:4, and the third in Jn 13:1.

  Vv. 14-17. Unlike the Synoptic evangelists, who place this story in the last days of Jesus’s life, precisely on the occasion of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem, the fourth evangelist recounts it at the beginning of Jesus’ life. “The order of events in the gospel narratives is often determined by theological motives rather than by chronological data.”^[1]

Worshipping God in the temple, offering animals as sacrifices, and paying temple taxes were part of the requirements for the people of Israel. Since the temple in Jerusalem was far from most of them and it was difficult to travel with their flocks or herds, the law of Moses allowed them to set up a marketplace in the temple area. This made it easier for people to travel light, carrying only their money. In the temple area, they could buy animals for sacrifice and exchange money for the temple tax (see Dt 14:24-26). However, this permission, though with good intentions, compromised the sacredness of worship just as the permission for divorce compromised the sacredness of marriage (see Dt 24:1; Mt 19:1-12). Market activities in the temple’s area created a highly profitable business that overshadowed the sacred purpose of their pilgrimage.

In this passage, Jesus drives out all the buyers and sellers, teaching them that material needs should never take precedence over spiritual life. God must always be the priority. Through his actions, especially when referring to the temple as his Father’s house (v. 16), Jesus reveals his divine identity as the Son of God. The words from Scripture that the disciples recall (v. 17) are from Ps 69:10. These words are shifted to the future tense to relate to Jesus.^[2]

Vv. 18-22. The Jews challenge Jesus by asking him to show them a sign that proves he has divine authority to clear them out of the temple area. In response, Jesus identifies his body as the new Temple when he says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). He speaks metaphorically about his upcoming Passion, Death, and Resurrection. At the Cross, the blood and water that flow from Jesus’ side, the New Temple, fulfill Ezekiel’s vision of a river flowing from the old temple (cf. Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12). Therefore, Jesus’s Resurrection is the sign that confirms his divine authority. The disciples will remember Jesus’ words when he rises from the dead, which will strengthen their faith in his Resurrection.

Vv. 23-25. In these concluding verses, which the lectionary omitted from our reading, the narrator comments on the limits of faith based on signs. “Jesus thus knows that signs-faith is not a sufficient response to the fullness of the gift of God that he brings into the human story.”^[3]  

  

            4.      Synthesis

The people of Israel misused Moses’ law regarding the organization of market activities in the temple area. While the law was intended to help travelers carry only their money to buy animals for sacrifice and exchange money for the temple tax, people turned it into a profitable business that obscured the sacred purpose of their pilgrimage. Jesus drove them all out of the temple area, teaching them that God must always come before material needs. He first referred to the temple as his Father’s house, showing that he is the Son of God. Second, he identified this temple as his Body, which the Jews would “destroy,” and that he would “raise” in three days, pointing to his Death and Resurrection.         

  

B.     Pastoral Implications

 

            1.      Liturgical Context

In this Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the Scripture readings discuss the temple as (1) a physical building that serves as God’s house and a place of worship (first reading and Gospel), (2) the Body of Christ (Gospel), and (3) a community of believers who, in turn, become Temples of God (second reading). 

 

            2.      What the Church Teaches Us Today  

First, our local churches are the houses of God, places where we come to worship our Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus confronts the people of Israel who have turned the temple into a marketplace. These people come to the temple not to pray to God but to conduct their business. They prioritize their material needs over spiritual needs. Jesus drove them all out of the temple area, teaching them that God must always come before material concerns. We, too, like these Israelites, turn our churches into a “marketplace” when we do not attend Mass actively, intentionally, and reverently. Let us avoid anything that distracts us and prevents us from praying to God reverently during the liturgy of the Mass.

Second, our local Church is the Body of Christ. In the Gospel, when Jesus drove out the people who turned the temple into a marketplace, he identified this temple as his Body, which the Jews would “destroy,” and that he would “raise” in three days, pointing to his Passion, Death, and Resurrection (Jn 2:19). The vision of the prophet Ezekiel, which we heard in our first reading, foretold this. Ezekiel saw water flowing out from the temple, producing life and refreshment. This water alludes to the water and blood that flowed from the side of Jesus on the Cross, representing the water of baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist, which give eternal salvation to us who believe in him. Therefore, the Temple or the Church is the Body of Christ.  

Third, our local Church is the Christian community, and each of us is the Temple of God. In our second reading, Saint Paul first tells us that we are both God’s building and builders. (1) When he refers to us as God’s building, he means that we are a Christian assembly, and each of us is the Temple of God, with the Spirit of God dwelling in us (1 Cor 3:16). Therefore, let us avoid sins because they turn our lives from the “temples of God” to “marketplaces.” (2) When Saint Paul calls us “God’s builders,” he means we are the ministers of our Christian community, helping each other grow in our relationship with God. He advises us to be careful in how we “build” or serve others, because “no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11). This means our ministries should not be based on what we or others want, but on what the Church has already established in Jesus’ name. Then, he warns us that God will destroy anyone who destroys God’s Temple (1 Cor 3:17). We destroy God’s temple when we do not use our lives to reflect his holiness, when we create division among people, or when we mislead our brothers and sisters by neglecting our ministries.

May the liturgy of this Mass help us believe that our local Church is the House of God, the Body of Christ, and a Christian community in which each of us is the Temple of God. Let us then ask God for grace so that we do not destroy this Temple of God by turning it into a “marketplace” of distractions, division, and other sins, but instead build it to reflect a true Christian assembly and transform it into a place to worship God. Amen.   

 

 Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

Pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church, Jackson, MS &

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator

  

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[1] NABRE, note to Jn 2:14-22.

[2] NABRE, note to Jn 2:17.

[3] Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John, 85.