WE ARE TEMPLE OF GOD AND HIS SPIRIT LIVES IN US

A reflection from Ez 47,1-2.8-9.12; 1Cor 3,9c-11.16-17; John 2, 13-22

Today is Feast of the Church. So, it is feast for all of us who were called to belong to this holy and living temple of God. It is invitation to reflect about the sense of unity of the Church and her finality in the world. For that the readings of this Sunday speak about the meaning of the Temple in the life of the People of God. 

In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, the Temple is a place whereby living water flows abundantly, bearing life where it passes. This living water is the grace of God which reaches everyone, bringing life and salvation. The proposal here is the new life where there was only death and new spirit in order to replace the ancient mentalities and structures. This process of renewal comprises all creation submitted to human action. This image used by Ezekiel is invitation to reflect about the gifts of salvation entrusted to the Church in order to make more ease the access of the human being to the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

In the gospel, Jesus expresses his devotion to the house of God and his indignation concern the attitude of disrespect to the Temple. The people had changed the place of prayer into a place of business. Jesus took advantage of this situation in order to teach them about his identity of Temple of God per excellence. In him the human being can perform true meeting with God. His explanation makes to reflect better about the finality of the Temple and the right behaviour in relating to it. It is invitation also to all to be temples, worshiping the Father in Spirit and truth. The ones who become disciples of Christ, they form with him the new Temple where God lives.

The Church exists for the salvation of the humanity. This is her finality. She announces Jesus Christ, salvation of God for all. The message of the Church is invitation to the conversion to God, that is, to live deep relationship with Him, the source of life. Living far from him it means death. The Church is living temple of the Lord which bears life where she is present. Each building of the Church calls our attention not only for its beauty, but above all, because it is a place of prayer and fraternal charity which announces God present in the world. There is nonsense to focus a lot of attention on the walls of the temple and forgetting the life of the people which express the vitality of the true Church, Body of Christ. The Church would be very weak if her worry was only with the temple of stones without paying attention to the temple source of life and light for all. 

Through the baptism we were called to a new birth. This spiritual rebirth has come to us through the Church. This rebirth leads us to everlasting life because it transforms us in living temples of God. In order worlds, God in his great love and kindness has made us into a dwelling-place for himself. Our identity is to be church, community of faith and love, through the communion and participation. As living stones we are invited to contribute to the up-building of the church through our testimony of life. The care about the external beauty of the body is good, but it cannot prevent us to take special care of the living temple of God within us. That is the statement of Saint Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: “you are temple of God and his Spirit lives in you”. In fact as Christian community we are motivated by the Spirit of God in order to bear good fruits, being sign of the love of God and instrument of his salvation. The faith lived in community make us witnesses of the truth and the freedom so that the humanity can live with enthusiasm the expectation of a new reality. 

 Fr. Ndega