Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Imagine if you were a Gentile living in the time of our Lord and didn’t know much about the God of the Jewish people, and so wanting to know more, you went to the Temple to check it out. You were allowed into the “Court of the Gentiles,” a section just for you, to discover that the whole court was filled with animals to be bought and sold, money changers and yelling voices haggling for the lowest prices. What would you think is worshiped in this Temple by these people? Although this Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the latest archaeological evidence seems to indicate that this court actually survived and was transported to Edmonton, adopting the name “West Edmonton Mall” over the years.
In our Gospel today, Christ purifies the Temple by driving out the buying and selling which was preventing the people from coming to the one true God. This poses an important question for us in our parish life, as well as our preparation for the the Nativity of our Lord: Do our activities, as good as they are, find their source and ultimate fulfillment in the service of the Lord? What is the point of us doing the things we do? Especially at this time when we are hearing about this being “the most wonderful time of the year,” guard yourself from falling to the temptation that it all really is about the “kids jingle-belling…everyone’s good cheer…and toasted marshmallows.”
Let us never forget the beautiful calling and gift we have received as Christians, to be citizens of the Lord’s kingdom and His emissaries to others. It beats marshmallows, cheer, and anything else which can be bought or sold at WEM!
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
