The Third Sunday of Lent

In the Gospel this Sunday, we heard that Jesus cleansed the temple. What Jesus did may make us squirm a bit. The usually gentle, compassionate, merciful Jesus has become a person who was whiplashing: driving out sheep and cattle, scattering monies, knocking over tables and not sparing the pigeon-sellers. But Jesus gives the reason for doing this: “Take these out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”
The market was just the facade. The reality was that there was wheeling-and-dealing, cheating and bribing, with injustice and extortion. All that was carried out under the pretext of religious requirements was condoned by the Temple authorities.
With that kind of corruption in the Temple, Jesus had to do something drastic. Corruption was happening right in God’s house. He had to cleanse the Temple, so that the ordinary people could come and worship God with a worthy sacrifice. Sin and corruption had to be driven out and cleansed before true worship could take place.
Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus takes a serious stand against sin and corruption. Therefore, we have to look at ourselves and acknowledge the sin and corruption that is within us and to let Jesus cleanse us of it. That is why it is necessary to do an “Examination of Conscience” at least once a day, so that we can see for ourselves what our sins and faults are. And that’s why it is also necessary to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is a healing Sacrament, because Jesus forgives and cleanses us of our sins so that we can be reconciled with God. It is a healing Sacrament, because Jesus forgives and cleanses us of our sins so that we can be reconciled with God.
Our reflection is: if we know that there is rubbish in our hearts, then why are we not getting rid of it? Why are we letting that sinful rubbish corrupt our lives and corrupt our worship of God? Fr. Aegidius Warsito, SCJ