We Are God’s Temple

Feast of St. John Lateran
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

It’s not too often that we see Christ get angry enough to start throwing furniture around. If you’re like me, maybe it’s reassuring to think of this when on occasion we lose it!

But unlike our own outbursts which are often based on anger or frustration, the Lord’s scene in the Temple is very much controlled and purposeful. As Jesus sweeps the Temple courtyard clean of merchants, he causes a great frenzy among the Jews. With boldness and zeal, Jesus refers to himself as a temple. He says that if that temple should be destroyed, it will be raised up in three days.

With the benefit of hindsight, we know that Christ is speaking about the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday and the resurrection. But even for the people of the time who didn’t know what was just around the corner, Jesus by his actions tries to refocus their faith. His lesson is that the temple building and all the sacrifices and other external religious practices are not what matter in authentic religion. The real proof of a person’s faith and standing before God is their relationship with God.

The prophet Isaiah pronounced God’s beautiful promise: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Isa 56:7). Today, Isaiah’s prophecy and Jesus’ cleansing action truly open the door of God’s house to a multitude of people who were once excluded. Christ has become the temple everyone can enter. We can understand this both spiritually—in the sense that everyone can be baptized and become an adopted child of God—and physically—in the sense that everyone is welcome to come through our church doors, pray with us, break bread with us, commune with us, love with us... This inclusive image and its open invitation to all people has truly become the power of the gospel in our world.

In fact, this echoes the message we heard in the gospel last Sunday: Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me…” (Jn 6:37).

And there’s more. Not only does Christ become a holy temple, but the Scriptures go on to say that we are, too! As St. Paul tells the Corinthians today: You are God’s building… you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you! The temple of God, which you are, is holy (1 Cor 3:9, 16, 17). So not only has Christ included us, but we have been chosen in Christ as the dwelling place of the Spirit. As Christ continues to cleanse the temple and restore faith, our own lives are being cleansed and renewed, as well.

I think it’s important to pause for a moment and consider the significance of all this. How are we God’s temple? In the soul, definitely. But not just the soul. Our bodies are also part of the living temple that houses God’s Spirit. Remember, the body and soul are inseparable. What this means is that how we relate to our body profoundly influences our spirituality and our inner wellness. Our emotions, feelings, attitudes, and physical health all have an impact on the degree of holiness and peace we enjoy.

But if you think about it, I know you’ll agree that most people we meet—young or old, sick or well, rich or poor, male or female, single or married—do not love their bodies. This is a significant spiritual concern! Our bodies are temples—a sacred trust… but negative self-images often lead to subtle and overt acts of self-hatred. Like our souls, our bodies also need love, care and attention. We need to cherish and nurture our entire being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually so we can thrive and live up to our fullest human potential.

Our body is one of God’s special gifts to us. You might say that it is our portable chapel. In sickness and in health, it helps us pray. For it is in God that we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Many people don’t realize that learning to live peacefully with our imperfect body can help us grow in inner wellness and personal empowerment.

In our prayer today, let us thank God for choosing us as one of his own and for making us feel desired and worthy. We thank him for giving us confidence that cannot be found in the world—a thought that is both humbling and exalting. We give thanks for his love and goodness. We give thanks that Christ is our temple—and that we are his.