March 4, 2018: 3rd Sunday of Lent B
March 4, 2018: 3rd Sunday of Lent B
When was the last time you received training on the significance of Holy Communion and how to receive Holy Communion properly? Perhaps it was high school during Confirmation classes. Recently we conducted refresher training for our eucharistic ministers, and some interesting questions came up such as, “What do we do when someone receives the Eucharist but walks away with it without consuming?” How would you react if you were the eucharistic minister? Would you chase after them? Another question, “What do we do when someone walks up to us to receive the Eucharist but we see him chewing gum? Or, what do we do when it’s obvious that they don’t know how to receive the Eucharist? Do we refuse them the Eucharist?” Our response to these instances depend on how we regard the Holy Eucharist and our understanding of our body as a sacred temple for God.
These questions regarding the proper reception of the Eucharist ties in to Jesus’ action in the temple in today’s gospel reading. Jesus entered the Jerusalem temple and saw animals and money changers occupying a sacred place where people were supposed to pray and worship God. Imagine this very church filled with vendors selling religious goods as smelly farm animals are bleating and mooing. We might not realize it, but distractions happen to us as well right in the middle of Mass when we’re curious about sports scores, making a mental list of what we need from the grocery store, or checking our emails and writing texts. We can’t pray whenever we are surrounded by noise, busyness, and the hustle and bustle of a marketplace. Filled with zeal, Jesus turned the tables of the money changers and drove them and animals out with a whip saying, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” Even today, Jesus wants to purify and cleanse the sacred space that was set apart for the worship of His Father. That sacred space is not only this church building but, more importantly, our bodies and hearts.
If today Jesus comes into our body through the Eucharist, what will he find? The Ten Commandments give us a way to discern what we need to cleanse or drive out from this body and soul that is consecrated to the Lord. The Ten Commandments are divided broadly into two loves--Love of God and love of neighbor. How fervent are we in loving God and our neighbor? The first three commandments deal with the sanctity of God, the holiness of His name, and the day (Sunday) set apart for us to worship Him. We all have to admit that at times we have not said God’s name or Jesus’ name with respect and honor due. We also have not set apart Sunday for prayer and worship, but instead made it a time of busyness and marketplace. God commanded us to set apart our love and respect for our parents, even if we don’t feel like loving or respecting them. It is the right thing to do. We are to honor and respect the life of a person for God breathed life into them, and therefore, we are not to take away or kill someone’s life. We are to respect the holiness of marriage vows that a husband and a wife made, therefore, we are not to covet or lust after another’s spouse. We are to honor someone’s possession for they are set apart for their use, therefore we are not to covet or steal them. We are to honor and protect another’s name and reputation, for our speech can honor someone or tear down what’s holy.
The Commandments of God are not to shackle us down to rigid rules. In fact, the Commandments give us the freedom to love God and our neighbor when we reject our disorderly desires. When we give God and neighbor the respect and love due each of them, we regain peace and refreshment in ourselves and in our community. The Psalmist wrote, “Lord, you have the words of everlasting life...The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.”
When Jesus comes to us intimately in the Eucharist, he gives us grace and courage to live the joy filled-life He intended for us; we are called to cooperate with Him and to drive out anything that obstructs our love for God and neighbor.
