by Msgr. Joseph P. Calise
Today’s Gospel presents a very unusual image of Jesus. We simply do not expect to see Him get angry to the point of violence. Yet, He does.
When He arrives at the Temple, rather than seeing men and women coming to pray and worship and offer sacrifice and learn more about God’s love and His will for them, Jesus sees instead a center of commerce. Enraged by this abusive behavior, He fashions a whip out of cords and chases those who were disrespecting the Temple out of it.
As uncharacteristic a portrait of Christ as this is, I take great comfort in it. I do not consider myself an angry person; my temper tantrums are usually short lived and a bit comical. In fact, I thank God each day for the serenity He has brought into my life and ask that He continue to grant it. Nonetheless, there are moments when even the most peaceful among us are disturbed by what we see, especially when someone or something we love is being disrespected.
Gaining Perspective
Noting Jesus’ reaction to the money changers and salesmen in the Temple area helps me put my own feelings into perspective. For example, I can understand that occasionally a cellphone is going to go off in church. Cellphones are so common today that we forget we even have them with us, so not turning them off before Mass begins is an embarrassing moment that simply happens. The annoyance comes when someone decides to answer it and has a conversation during Mass.
Should it not bother us when people do in church what they could be thrown out of a Broadway theater for doing? There are not only gum chewers but gum chompers who fill our pews. Again, it might be that some people simply do not think about it. They are simply chewing a piece of gum to cover up the aroma of coffee or the smell of tobacco and forget to take it out before entering church.
A shared sense of belonging brings us to the dimension of Church beyond place – the Church as the people of God, a people who seek and celebrate their holiness as they encourage one another in a place designated by the community as sacred.
But there are limits to understanding even this behavior.
What do you say to the Confirmation sponsor who is presenting a candidate to the bishop with gum in his mouth or to the teenager who is snapping bubbles on the communion line?
How do you convince people that sticking gum under the pew is no more appropriate or sanitary than sticking it under a neighbor’s dining room chair?
The list can go on to include those who come to wedding Masses in sloppy clothing or with their hair in rollers badly covered by a kerchief because, after all, they have to look good at the reception.
I am willing to bet that every priest in the diocese can make his own list – nothing earth shattering mind you, but quirky behaviors you see from the altar that disrespect not us but the place, a place that is sacred because of the presence of Christ. I am also sure that many of our faithful can point out habits in us that make you wonder if we are aware of the impression we give.
Today’s Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica reminds us of the sacredness of place. This basilica is the first among the four Roman basilicas (the others being St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major and St. Paul’s) because it is the seat of the bishop of Rome, the pope.
On the front of the basilica are the words “Omnium Urbis et Orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput,” which translates as “The mother and head of all the churches in the city and the world.” It has played an important role in the history of our faith but even more has stood as a reminder of the presence of Christ in and to the world.
United to One Another
So often people want to be married or to bury a loved one from a specific church because there is a warmth they feel there or an attachment that inspires them. They feel a sense of belonging. They know they are someplace special, someplace sacred. It is in this sacred space that God makes Himself present to us as a community. Here He unites us to one another because of our union with Him.
This shared sense of belonging brings us to the dimension of Church beyond place – the Church as the people of God, a people who seek and celebrate their holiness as they encourage one another in a place designated by the community as sacred.
Christ’s anger in the Gospel lashes at those who neither respect the holiness of the place or the journey of others toward that holiness. It also purified the Temple so that those who approached for the right reason could find the transforming and uniting encounter with the divine they sought. The money changers and merchants were welcome back – they were just asked to leave the doves and oxen outside.
Readings for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Ezekiel 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12
Psalm 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9
1 Corinthians 3: 9C-11, 16-17
John 2: 13-22
Msgr. Joseph P. Calise is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, Williamsburg.