Reflection for Friday, Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Word
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore
Exodus: 12:13
"The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."
Today's Reflection
The Temple Mount is the huge platform built by Herod the Great on which the magnificent temple that he had built rested.
In its day that temple was considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says to the Pharisees, ‘here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple’.
When he spoke those words, he was, no doubt, pointing to himself.
He was claiming to be greater than even the magnificent temple that Herod had built.
That temple, in particular the Holy of Holies at the heart of the temple, was considered to be the place where God was present on earth.
In the gospel reading Jesus is claiming that he is now the one where God is present on earth.
God is no longer present in a building but in a person, the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus is Emmanuel, God-with-us. Where Jesus is present, God is present.
For us as Christians, where the risen Lord is present, God is present.
We believe that the risen Lord is present with us in a special way in the Eucharist; in venerating the Eucharist, we are venerating Emmanuel, God with us.
The risen Lord is also present in each one of us, in the members of his body, the church.
Indeed, he is present in some sense in every human being who is suffering.
Let's resolve to honour and respect each other, knowing that we honour the Lord himself.
Good Morning
God bless you
Pray for all our suffering brethren.
Happy feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel