Love God. Live the Eucharist.

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Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Feb. 19, 2017, by Fr. Kevin Anderson

In the second reading, Paul gives his most important concept of all his writings . . . according to biblical scholar N.T. Wright. But let me give you an image of how it is set up.   I need a few volunteers to come up and help me. [Elicit 4 or 5 kids].

 

God gave Moses the 10 Commandments [show 2 tablets]. This is the covenant between God and the people.   The 10 Commandments got stored in a container which was called the Ark, hence the name “Ark of the Covenant.” [Show a box to represent the Ark].

 

Eventually the Jewish people wanted to build a building for the Ark of the Covenant. [Have kids hold up a structure to represent the Temple]. This building was called a temple . . . we would call it a Church. This happened in Jerusalem, about 950 years before Jesus was born. It says in 1 Kings 8:10-13, that when the temple was dedicated, a fire and cloud from heaven descended into the Temple. [Show fire coming into the temple] Hence the Jewish people knew that God was with them and this became the holiest spot in the world. It still is for Jewish people (that’s why there is so much fighting in the Middle East).

 

About 350 years later, bad guys from Babylonia came and destroyed the temple, [have temple collapse] stole the Ark of the Covenant, [have the Ark removed] and captured many of the Jewish people and took them to Babylonia. This is where the concept of looking for the lost ark comes from . . . like in the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” This destruction also meant that the holy fire of God went out [remove fire].

 

Eventually many prophets convinced the people that they must go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple so God can be with them again. [Have kids hold up the Temple again]. This happened about 500 years before Jesus was born. Wright points out there is no account of the “fire and glory of God” ever descending on this rebuilt temple. This “Second Temple” stayed up during the time of Jesus. About 50 years after Jesus died, it got destroyed again [have kids set the Temple down] as it is today with only one wall (called the Western Wall) still there today.

 

Anyway, this second Temple was built, but no “fire and glory of God” in it. This led to people

to really being concerned about rules and ritual laws. For they thought that if they did everything correct and obeyed all the laws perfectly, they could convince God to come back into the Temple.

 

Well Jesus comes along, doesn’t obey many of the ritual laws, dies and rises, sends the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And the Spirit is like “fire and the glory of God” which we hear every year.

And where does the fire go?   Into people! The most important concept of St. Paul, according to biblical scholar Wright, and you just heard it today . . . is that YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD!!!!

 

Holy smoley, that’s really important. Of course, we recognize God present in many places . . . in the scripture, in the sacraments, in the Tabernacle, in nature. But for Paul, the holiest place for God to dwell is IN YOU!

 

This means that you can (and should)

trust the God experience within you.

 

This has so many results . . . how do you treat your body? How do you care for yourself . . . physically, mentally, emotionally?  And you all know how to be better, for example: drink more water, get some exercise, get more sleep, eat healthier . . . we all know how. We just don’t do it.

Well Lent is coming up; perhaps it’s time to become a better temple for God.

 

And not only are you the temple of God . . . but we all, collectively, are the temple of God. Or as we often say, “the body of Christ.” And that’s how Jesus has the nerve to say, in the gospel, not to just love your friends . . . but also love your enemies.

 

So let me end by telling you how to love your enemies.   Pray for them, as Jesus said. Not that they change to agree with you. NO. But pray that they can also become better temples. For example, pray that they drink enough water, get enough sleep, and eat better.

 

For when we improve the temples, where God lives . . . then God has a better chance of glowing and growing, and loving and forgiving . . . through us.

 

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