GO BACK TO THE SANCTUARY

June 1, 2012

1^ST READING - 1 Peter 4:7-13

P S A L M - Psalm 96:10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord comes to judge the earth.

GOSPEL

The story of the fig tree is a parable about the fruitfulness of our lives. God gives us numerous opportunities to respond to the gift of His grace. However, we will come to a point when we will run out of time. We must respond and show God that we appreciate the gift of salvation He has given us. How? Through the good deeds we perform. They do not save us, but they certainly express our thanks that God has saved us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

I choose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that lasts, says the Lord.

Mark 11:11-26

Reflection

A priest I met at a seminar in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, once said, “Gabaldon used to be a place where people found rest and recreation because of so many trees around. But now, it looks as if the place was raped.” He was really saying the place was desecrated. The once-upon-a-time sanctuary and watershed was no more. How many more mountains, forests and rivers have lost their sense of sanctuary due to illegal logging, mining and pollution?

When Jesus was angry because people turned the Temple into a den of thieves, wasn’t He mourning the loss of sanctuary? Are there other violations, scandals and trespassing that happen at present that desecrate also the temple of our bodies?

The powerful persons during Jesus’ time were so blinded and numbed with their ways that they plotted to kill Jesus because He challenged their ways. In a prophetic gesture, Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers and merchants and lamented, “You have turned the Temple into a den of thieves.”

What was stolen? What was taken away from the Temple? I suppose they lost their center and core values: God, simplicity, compassion.

The Gospel of Mark reminds us that like the barren fig tree, we have not harvested any fruits. Have we become complacent and extravagant to the point of losing our sanctuary? Have we gained the world in exchange for the stolen soul?

The psalmist reminds us: “The Lord comes to judge the earth.” There is a judgment that can challenge us to discern the consequences of our choices. The Spirit of the Lord can challenge our corrupt ways to restore the integrity of our lives.

The Gospel challenges us to go back to the sanctuary of the temple: pray, believe, forgive. Fr. Teodulo P. Gonzales, S.J

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What radical change is Jesus calling you to do? What gifts are you being asked to offer?

Lord, like the moneychangers in the Temple, I have sometimes desecrated Your temple. Help me to clean up my mess and restore the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in my life.

St. Justin, martyr, pray for us.

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