Holy Tuesday

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves.”

—Matthew 21:12–13

In the days leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus openly taught in Jerusalem, which led to confrontations with the religious authorities. For Jewish people the Temple was sacred, where God himself dwelt. It was meant to be a place for prayer and religious offerings, but instead it became a place for religious leaders to control people and steal from them in the name of God. Jesus boldly and publicly denounces this abuse of authority, as he drives out the money changers from the Temple.

Through Baptism, each of us have become the place where God dwells, so we are in a sense new temples. Corruption in our hearts and souls not only hurts us but also defiles a sacred dwelling of the Lord.

Today, ask the Holy Spirit to clear away the dishonesty and hypocrisy in your own heart. Trust that a place for Christ to dwell will be prepared within you.

 This reflection from Messages of Trust for Lent, originally published by Ave Maria Press, was reprinted with permission of the authors, Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran. For more parish resources, visit https://www.rebuiltparish.com/.

Responsorial psalms are excerpted from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Other scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC, and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.