Sunday, November 30, 2014

Gospel For Today: 1st Sunday of Advent

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT (B)

Today we begin a new season in the liturgical year, a season of anticipation, a season of waiting.  The word advent means "coming;" we await He who is to come, Jesus Christ.  We wait in two senses.  We join in the long waiting that the world had to endure before Christ's Incarnation in Bethlehem two thousand years ago; and by so doing we remind ourselves that we still wait for that glorious coming of our Savior at the end of all days.  

"When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for His second coming" (CCC 524).  Listen to these words: ancient expectancy, long preparation, ardent desire.  This is what Advent is meant to renew in us.  It is fitting that as we begin a new liturgical year, the first psalm the Church prays in Morning Prayer in the Divine Office for today is Psalm 63.  "O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting.  My body pines for you like a dry, weary land without water."

It can be difficult to keep Advent in college.  The semester is almost over.  You return from Thanksgiving break to busily finish up final projects and papers.  Exam week is right around the corner.  And then it is home again to celebrate the joy of Christmas with family.  Before you leave campus there will be Christmas parties and wishes of "Merry Christmas," because the next time we see each other it will be the middle of January.  What place is there for Advent in campus life?  Yet I know college students know all about longing for something more, desiring a better future, a hope of peace and security, and having to wait for it all.  You know all about anticipation.  

The people of Israel had to wait nearly 700 years from the time Isaiah wrote his prophecy until they saw it fulfilled in Christ.  Isaiah speaks on behalf "of those who wait for Him."  He pleads that God might "rend the heavens and come down," but remembers to pray also that God "might meet us doing right."  Isaiah knew how fickle and unfaithful the people of Israel could be while they waited for the Lord.  Even at the Lord's coming, most of the chosen people completely missed it, so caught up were they in their own ways.

I'm sure you have seen the bumper sticker: "JESUS IS COMING: quick, everyone look busy."  It is humorous, but it makes an important point.  Just as the people of Isaiah's time did not know when their Lord was coming, so we today have no idea when the second coming of Christ will be.  Christ Himself tells us in today's gospel reading (Mk 13:33-37), "Be watchful!  Be alert!  You do not know when the time will come... May He not come suddenly and find you sleeping."  

Like the people of ancient Israel, and indeed the whole ancient world (for God "awakens in the hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming" (CCC 522)), we today still wait for the advent of our Lord.  But there is a vital difference.  The ancient world waited for One they knew not, while we await for the return of One whom we know.  

Isiah's prophecy has been fulfilled.  Two thousand years ago at the Annunciation, as Mary rendered her fiat ("Let it be done unto me according to Your word" (Lk 1:38)), God rent the heavens and came down.  From that moment, everything changed.  From that moment, we have lived in a different world.  God existed for the people of the ancient world as behind a veil.  Now the veil has been torn in two.  So while we await that unknown day of Christ's second coming, we do not wait alone.  We do not wait without help or hope.

Isaiah prayed that God might find His people faithful upon His coming.  We hope for the same thing, but that hope is based in a firm trust in Christ.  Christ has given us all we need to make us ready to meet Him in glory.  St. Paul, in today's second reading (1 Cor 1:3-9) gives thanks "for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in Him you were enriched in every way... so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of Lord Jesus Christ.  He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."  

We have the opportunity and great blessing today through the Church to build a relationship with God that is much more intimate and powerful than anything the ancient prophets could have imagined, so that even in our waiting we can get a foretaste of heaven.  Do not squander that opportunity.  Keeping close to God now will ensure that we remain close to Him on that blessed day when we will behold Him face to face.  Until that day, let us be filled with a spirit of longing and desire for Him, and also a spirit of hope that He will find us faithful.

"Be watchful!  Be alert!  You do not know when the time will come... May He not come suddenly and find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to all: 'Watch!'" (Mk 13:33, 37).

--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
  
(828)293-9374  |   POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723

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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Students,

Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ!  Many of us have a short week this week due to the Thanksgiving Break.  Our prayers are for safe travels and an enjoyable holiday with your families and friends.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday. It was instituted by our government, not by the Church.  Nevertheless it can be considered a religious holiday in that the One we are called to express our thanks to is none other than the God who gives us all we have, and all we are.  The popular image of Thanksgiving's origins involves pilgrims and natives sharing a harvest feast.  But the national holiday was actually instituted by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, during the Civil War.  His proclamation reads, in part:

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. (Oct. 3, 1863).

 So remember to give thanks and praise to God this Thanksgiving, and every day.  And remember, the word Eucharist means "thanks giving."  Catholics celebrate a thanksgiving meal each and every time we attend Mass.  There can never be a better way to offer thanks to God than through His Eucharistic Son.
Father all-powerful, your gifts of love are countless and your goodness infinite; as we come before you on Thanksgiving Day with gratitude for your kindness, open our hearts to have concern for every man, woman, and child, so that we may share your gifts in loving service. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
  
(828)293-9374  |   POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723

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Sunday, November 23, 2014

Gospel for Today: Christ the King

THE SOLEMNITY OF JESUS CHRIST KING OF THE UNIVERSE (A)


Today the Church celebrates the great Solemnity of Jesus Christ King of the Universe, often called simply "Christ the King."  This solemnity was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to the secularism that he saw rampant in the world during his time.  He believed the world needed a reminder of Who was really in authority (a reminder which is still needed today).

It is fitting that this great feast falls on the last Sunday in Ordinary Time, before we begin our Advent season of preparation in anticipation of the birth of a newborn King in Bethlehem.  Jesus Christ was King of the Universe already at His humble birth, but very few recognized Him as such at the time.  When Christ comes again in glory at the end of time, His authority will be universally recognized.  All will live in the light of His reign.

Today in our gospel we are given a preview of that that day will be like (Mt 25:31-46).  Jesus speaks of the Son of Man (one of His many titles) coming in glory and sitting upon His throne, with all the nations assembled before Him.  We tend to think of kings and other powerful figures of basking in the limelight.  But not in this case.  Christ the King is the light, and He shines His light upon us.  This is why so much attention is given in today's gospel reading not to Christ, but to you and I.  We see all peoples from every nation, every last one of us, being judged.  The King will separate us out, the sheep from the goats.  The sheep will go to His right, into eternal life, while the goats will go to the left, into eternal punishment.  

How will the King determine who is a sheep and who is a goat?  He will judge us according to the love we have shown our neighbors during our lives -- specifically, the least of our neighbors.  Have we clothed the naked?  Have we fed the hungry?  Have we visited the sick and those in prison?  Have we ministered to their needs?  For, as Christ tells us, whatever we do for the least of His people, thus we do (or do not do) for Him.  We will be judged according to how we loved.

Most Christians know this gospel passage.  It is a poignant reminder for us to love our neighbors.  But why does the Church present it to us here, on the Solemnity of Christ the King?  Shouldn't the readings be something about Christ's glory and might and power and divinity?  Where is the triumph?  Where is the kingship?  This gospel reading seems to be more about us and how we ought to behave.  And that is rather the point.

Pope Pius XI established this feast to combat secularism.  Secularism is a way of life that leaves God out of man's thinking.  The secular person organizes his or her life as if God did not exist.  Christ makes no difference to his or her actions.  Today's celebration reminds us that we cannot allow our lives to become secularized.  We must always and everywhere remember that Jesus Christ always was, is now, and ever shall be King of all Creation.  He is ruler over all, and that makes a difference as to how we live our lives.

Living our lives as subjects of Christ the King means ever striving to be a sheep in His flock (not a goat).  Living in the light of Christ means seeing Jesus in the least of our brethren and treating them with the love that Christ has for them.  It makes a difference in our behaviors and actions, in how we relate to others, each and every day.

We become different when we acknowledge Christ as our King. We treat others differently.  We love differently.  Today, let us renew our commitment to serving the King of the Universe, the King of us all.  


A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ King.

Prayer:
Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before you. We are yours, and yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with you, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known you; many, too, despising your precepts, have rejected you. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to your Sacred Heart. Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned you; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and the unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Grant, O Lord, to your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give tranquility of order to all nations; make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever. Amen.

Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences , June 29, 1968

--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
  
(828)293-9374  |   POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723

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Davidson CCM bulletin week of November 17

We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.
                                                                                                                                                                ~Francis of Assisi 

FAQ…. What is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?

You may well wonder. Most Catholics are unfamiliar with this Sacrament, though its old (wrong) name, Last Rites, tends to ring a bell. It’s a pity, because it’s a Sacrament available to us all well before this life comes to a close. Here is some information about the history of the sacrament and what is involved in its celebration.

Initiation in to the Christian life is initiation into a life-long journey of conversion, as we strive to conform ourselves to Christ, to live the gospel, and to ‘be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.’ We are human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, but also prone to sin, sickness and death and thus in need of healing and encouragement throughout our lives.

The two sacraments of healing confront the reality and reveal God’s power to heal and to save. Reconciliation provides the opportunity to be healed when our relationship with God, neighbor, self and Church have been damaged by sin. Anointing of the Sick is an opportunity to be healed when our relationship with God, our community, our bodies, and our Church have been weakened by illness, infirmity, or impending death.

Sickness and death are violations of how things should be, and are mysteries that beg for explanations, that lead to questions of meaning. When we can give meaning and sense to suffering and loss we can find the strength to endure and live with mystery. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the material world and the spiritual world are not separate; we have a holistic worldview. Sickness in body therefore affects the spirit, and healing of the two are linked. Healing is not just about trying to cure the body, but also reintegration into normal life.

The gospels are full of stories of Jesus curing, casting out demons, and raising the dead. Jesus embodied God’s compassion for the suffering, and his healing was interior or spiritual, as well as outward or bodily. The disciples shared his healing ministry, and it was continued in the early church (see James 5:14-15), as Christians used blessed oil in their prayers over the sick. There is evidence that by the year 200 people were taking blessed oil home to use in healing family members, a practice found all over Europe in the centuries after as Christians were encouraged to turn to oil and Christian prayers for physical healing, rather than resorting to pagan magical practices.

When people were near death, they would request Reconciliation and Eucharist, and were usually anointed as well. Anointing, especially when done by priests, came to be more and more associated with the deathbed, and so people began avoiding priestly anointing when they were sick.

Anointing had been a sacrament for physical healing with prayers reflecting that, but it became more penitential as it was associated with dying, and the prayers for healing were dropped entirely by the 12th century as it became anointing in preparation for death. (Anointing at home by lay people had also died out by this point.) The “last rites” then were Reconciliation, Eucharist (called Viaticum), and “extreme unction,” literally, the last anointing.

There was virtually no change in the sacrament until the 20th century. The sacrament was meant to bring to the dying the experience of God’s mercy and forgiveness, and to the family the consolation of the surety of salvation and eternal life. It was meant to be an affirmation that death is not the final meaning of life, that God has mercy on us even in our dying moments. It may not have given sacred meaning to sickness, but it gave sacred meaning to death. Unfortunately, people dreaded it; they perceived it as a sacrament of despair rather than one of hope of the resurrection, since it wasn’t received until there was no hope of recovery from illness, and the focus was heavily on mourning and pleading for God’s mercy on sinners.

By the mid-1950s, as Catholic theological, scriptural, and liturgical advanced, there was a growing dissatisfaction with the sacrament as it was being practiced, and so when Vatican II called for a renewal of the sacraments, it was revised. The sacrament can still be administered to the dying, for the good of the soul and the comfort of the dying and their family. But now it can again be given to the sick, the aged, the chronically ill, the infirm. The focus has reverted to the originally meaning of healing more than forgiveness of sins, and it is more holistic and flexible: it can happen anywhere, as often as needed, and includes pastoral counseling, prayer, Eucharist and community participation.

The sacrament of Anointing reminds us that Christ’s healing power, manifested among the people he met and the early Christian community, is still at work in our world. It also reminds us that God never abandons us, even and especially in our times of weakness and death. The sacrament brings spiritual healing and strength, and sometimes physical healing and strength as well. It reminds us that we are loved and forgiven by God, and that God cares about us, body mind and spirit. The sacrament brings grace to overcome anxiety and despair, to find comfort, to be healed and whole even if body is not.

Those who suffer can bring their suffering into union with passion of Christ. The oil with which they are anointed is a kind of consecration to bear witness to passion, to participate in saving work of Jesus’ passion and death. Anointing is also a reminder that disease and death are not the end of the story. They can’t be escaped but must be lived through, and it gives us the strength to endure and to be reconciled with own limits, infirmity, death. For those who are about to die, the sacrament also serves as preparation for final journey, and affirms our belief in the resurrection.

The rite for the sick includes various elements. There is a Welcome and Explanation of the Rite which helps create a sense of community and context. Then follows a Penitential Rite and a reading from Scripture. The rite of Anointing has three parts. There is a Prayer of Faith, a litany for God’s help prayed by the gathered community. The priest Lays Hands on the sick person (as Jesus laid hands on the sick), embodying the Church’s healing ministry, and invoking the Holy Spirit. Finally, there is the Anointing with Oil, a traditional sign of healing, strengthening, and the presence of the Spirit. Communion can follow, and then a final Blessing.

The rite for the dying is slightly different. Reconciliation is encouraged, and Eucharist is emphasized; if there’s not enough time to do all three sacraments, Eucharist takes priority. In fact, Anointing is best done at the beginning of the illness, so that Eucharist can truly be the last rite received. Eucharist in this context is called Viaticum. Viaticum means “on the way”; it is food for the passage through death to eternal life. It is the “completion and crown of the Christian life on this earth, signifying that the Christian follows the Lord to eternal glory and the banquet of the heavenly kingdom” (Rite, 175). Communion is given under both forms when possible, to better represent the Banquet of the Lamb. After giving communion, the priest adds these special words: “May the Lord Jesus Christ protect you and lead you to eternal life.”

A distinctive feature of this anointing is a renewal of the dying person’s baptismal promises, using the language of faith that was used at their baptism, when they entered the Christian life, as they prepare to pass on to eternal life. A sign of peace can also be part of the rite, a joyful and hope-filled leave-taking as the dying person prepares to go ahead of us. The sacrament is meant to be celebrated with family and any others (ie, nurses, nursing home workers) to better represent that it is a sacrament of the Church, and to surround the person with a community of care.

___________________

Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423

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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Gospel For Today: 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME (A)

Today's gospel (Mt 25:14-30) relates the parable of the talents. A man going on a journey entrusts three of his servants with a number of talents (valuable coins worth more than fifteen years' wages for the typical laborer).  To one servant he gives five talents, to another two, and to a third servant only one.  The servants who received five and two talents traded and invested them and so when the master returned they were able to give back to him more than they were first given.  They multiplied their master's treasure.  To these men the master says, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  The man who was given only one talent buried his in the ground.  He did nothing productive with the talent with which he was entrusted.  To him, the master warns that he will be "cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

What is the lesson of this parable?  That we should wisely invest our money so as to make a profit?  I would suggest that this parable actually has very little to do with money.  In fact, when it comes to money, Jesus tells us that it is harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle (Mt 19:23-24).  I suggest that this parable has to do with talents.  

A talent in ancient Greece was a measure of value.  The word entered into ancient and medieval Latin and ultimately became part of our modern English vocabulary.  We think of a talent today as something we are good at.  But the way the word was used in medieval Latin was a bit different.  A talent was an inclination, a desire, or a leaning of the will, irrespective of whether one was actually good at a thing.  We sometimes speak of someone having a "natural talent," but very rarely does a person acquire great skill without great effort.  One may have a natural inclination to play basketball, but it is only through hard work and practice that one becomes a great player.  If one does not develop the talent it will go to waste.

God gives each of us certain talents -- that is, certain inclinations.  Our proper response to this gift is first of all gratitude.  But we also have a responsibility to invest in the talents He gives us.  We need to put in the work to develop those skills, whatever they may be.  To discover your talents requires self-examination.  What are your inclinations and desires?  (I speak not of sinful inclinations that come from the devil or our fallen nature).  Do you have an inclination to music?  Then learn how to sing, or play an instrument.  Do you have an inclination to art?  Learn how to paint.  Are you comfortable speaking in public?  Perhaps you have a gift to be a preacher or debater.  Whatever your talent is, you have a responsibility to develop it so that it may increase.  Do not hide it away and let it go to waste.

The servant who buried his master's talent in the ground was cast into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (an obvious reference to hell).  Jesus is warning us that we can actually damn ourselves if we don't use the talents God gives us.  That's a pretty harsh judgement!  But it is a just judgement because those talents don't really belong to us.  They belong to God, and He gives them to us for a reason.  He gives them to us so that we may return them to Him magnified.  Like the first two servants in the parable, we are expected to multiply the Master's treasure.

Now you may be thinking, I don't have any talents.  I am not a scholar, artist or athlete.  What do I have to offer God?  This is thinking like the wicked servant.  Why did he bury his talent in the ground?  Could it be the sin of envy?  The other servants received more talents than he and so he grew resentful of them and hateful toward his master.  He buried his talent so that his master would not benefit from it.  In the end, even that one talent was taken from him.  Some days we may feel like the wicked servant.  We look at others around us who seem to have so many gifts and think, by comparison, that we are rather limited.  We can grow resentful and refuse to develop our own gifts.  But the talents that God gives us are not always the ones that appear spectacular in the eyes of man.  In fact, I would say those talents are the exception rather than the rule.  There are talents which the world does not value but which are priceless in the eyes of God.

Consider the worthy wife in today's first reading (Prv 31).  She works with wool and flax to make yarn on the spindle -- a basic craft that requires some skill but is certainly not the dazzling talent of a Michelangelo or a Mozart.  But with that yarn, her family is clothed.  Moreover, she "reaches out her hands to the poor."  She "extends her arms to the needy."  She "fears the Lord" and "brings good, and not evil."  In other words, she exhibits a Christ-like love of neighbor.  She may not have a lot of talent as the world understands talent.  But she performs simple tasks with great love. (This is the "Little Way" of St. Therese of Lisieux).  For that, the scripture says "her works praise her at the city gates" with a "value far beyond pearls."  

It is not our business how many talents others around us have.  Our business is to invest the talent God gives us and return it to Him with increase. The worthy wife from Proverbs did not waste her talent.  The world may not look upon her as one who does great things.  But the Master will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibility.  Come, share your Master's joy."   May we each be so blessed as to hear those words at the end of our journey.

--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
  
(828)293-9374  |   POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723

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Davidson CCM Bulletin for week of Nov 10

11 November: St. Martin of Tours (b. 315)
Ironically, Martin is the patron saint of both soldiers and conscientious objectors. As a child he felt called to become a Christian (which he pursued in secret, since his parents were against it) and wanted to be a monk, but in his teens he was forced into the army. He tried to practice Christian goodness, including a famous episode shown here, where he cut his cloak in half to give to a freezing beggar. He was baptized at 18, and eventually found his growing Christian faith to be in conflict with the expectation that he would fight in battle, so he refused to fight. They were going to execute him for it, but the enemy unexpectedly decided to negotiate rather than fight, so he was let off.

His life is unusually well documented (see www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=81 for more info). I especially like the comment made by the boisterous crowd who wanted him as their next bishop: when the other bishops complained about how ragged Martin looked, they said “Hey! We don’t admire him for his haircut—we admire him because he’s holy!”—words of wisdom for us all.

Enjoy these last hours of lovely warm weather, and get ready to bundle up. Have a great week! ~ Karen

If for any reason you would like to be removed from this email list, let me know.



___________________

Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423

at

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Gospel For Today: Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA IN ROME

Today is a special feast day, but unlike most feast days, today does not celebrate the life of a saint or a major event in the life of Christ.  Today we celebrate the day on which the Lateran Basilica in Rome was dedicated.  Why would we do such a thing?  The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome, first consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324 AD.  This makes it the oldest and the highest ranking of the four basilicas in Rome.  It is an historically significant church, and so it makes sense that the anniversary of its dedication would be celebrated locally in Rome.  The reason why this celebration is extended to the universal Church is to show the union of the churches world wide with the successor of St. Peter.  Because it is the official cathedral of the Pope, it is considered the mother cathedral of the whole world.

But why celebrate a church building at all?  Why does a building get a feast day?  Today's readings help us to understand why.  First we hear of the prophet Ezekiel being brought by an angel "to the entrance of the temple of the Lord" (Ez 47:1), where Ezekiel saw water flowing out from its sides.  In our gospel reading Jesus goes into the temple where He chases out the money-changers and tells them, "stop making my Father's house a marketplace" (Jn 2:13-22).  

This is one of the only times we see Jesus angry.  His anger is righteous because the integrity of the temple -- His Father's house -- was being violated.  The temple was constructed specifically to house the presence of God.  The temple in Jerusalem is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept, containing within it fragments of the stone tablets on which were written the Ten Commandments, as well as pieces of manna that fell from heaven during the time of the Exodus.   The Word of God and the Bread from Heaven signified God's presence in a very tangible way.  This is why the temple was built.  This is why Jewish people, no matter how far they were scattered, would return to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices and give worship to God in the temple.

Of course the Jewish people knew that God exists everywhere.  As David reflects in Psalm 139, whether we ascend to the heights of the heavens or descend to the depths of hell, God is there.  God is omnipresent. Yet the temple represented a place where God dwelt in a very specific way.  We today, as Catholics, can understand this.  We recognize that God is always present to us, but sometimes that presence is in a more tangible form.  God is present whenever two or more are gathered in His name, as we pray and worship (Mt 18:20).  God is present to us in His Word when we read the sacred scriptures.  But we recognize that God is present in a very specific and special way in the Holy Eucharist.  So the Bible, which we revere as God's word, may be kept on a shelf along with other books.  But the Eucharist would never be kept in the pantry with other bread.  Because it is the Real Presence of God we house it in a special place, in a special way, out of respect for its sacredness. 

Though God is present everywhere, and we can pray and worship God anywhere, the Jewish people dedicated the temple especially as a place of worship which would house God's presence.  We today dedicate churches to house the Eucharist and where we gather each day -- most especially on Sundays -- to worship God.

Let us consider the word "dedicate."  When we speak of someone as being dedicated we mean he is especially devoted to one particular task or area of interest.  If I am a dedicated student, that means I do not allow anything to distract me from my academic studies.  If I am dedicated to my family, that means that I am not going to allow any outside pursuits to take my focus away from familial responsibilities.  If you are involved in IT you might speak of a "dedicated server," meaning that server is to be used for one purpose only.  A dedicated server is more reliable, because its resources and capacities are not divided.

To dedicate something is to set it apart for a specific use or function.  It is a way of recognizing the importance or significance of something.  When we dedicate a church we are setting that building aside for sacred use.  We are saying that this space is to be used for the worship of God and not as a place of business, a dining hall, a dormitory, or a dance studio.  Those are all fine things, but the worship of God is so important that it merits a place exclusively for that purpose.  To be dedicated involves exclusivity.  A husband and wife are dedicated to each other.  Theirs is an exclusive relationship.  Violating that exclusivity does harm to the sacredness of their marriage.  This is why Christ gets upset at the money-changers in the temple.  They were violating the sacred integrity of that dedicated space.

The temple in Jerusalem is not the only temple mentioned in the gospel today.  Christ says, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will build it up again." The gospel writer tells us, "He was speaking about the temple of His body."  Jesus Christ is also a temple.  He is the Word of God.  He is the Bread from Heaven.  The presence of God dwells in Him.  If this is true of Christ, then those who receive Christ make their bodies into temples, as well.  St. Paul says in today's second reading, "Brothers and sisters: You are God's building... Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:9-17).  

If we are temples of God that means that we, like our churches, have been dedicated to God and should not be used for profane things.  Our relationship with God is exclusive.  We have been set aside for holiness and love.  Anything that runs counter to that purpose should be cast out of our lives the way Jesus cast the money-changers out of the temple.

In Ezekiel's vision, he saw water flowing out of the sides of the temple.  Wherever that water flowed, there was found life.  We enter our churches so that we may be in the presence of God and offer Him worship.  When we leave, we should be like those flowing waters, bringing God's life to the rest of the world.  One of the dismissals that the deacon or priest may use at the end of Mass is, "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life."

Our sacred spaces exist for the purpose of worshiping God.  They also remind us that we, too, are sacred spaces and exist for that same purpose.

  • Learn more about the Lateran Basilica here
  • TRIVIA:  Who is St. John Lateran?  No one!  The basilica is named after St. John the Evangelist, and is called "Lateran" after the Laterani family who originally owned the land it was built on.   

--
WCU Catholic Campus Ministry
Matthew Newsome, MTh, campus minister
  
(828)293-9374  |   POB 2766, Cullowhee NC 28723

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