3rd Sunday of Lent 2024 Year B

John 2:13-25

Why did the Jews go to the temple? To worship God surely.

Why do we go to church? For the same reason I would presume.

What does it mean to worship? Some people reduce worship to dance and song in honour of God, in fact there is a genre of music called praise and worship. Worship implies the acts of revering, honouring and or venerating to something or someone worthy of it. The word worship actually comes from the Old English which conveys the concept of worthiness or a state of being worthy. So when we come to Church we come to worship God, recognising that He is worthy of our attention, time, reverence, honour and homage. He is worthy of our best.

It is common practice for people to show respect to each other by offering their hand in a handshake. But imagine what would you do if someone offered you their hand which was visibly filthy. Or if you went to a work meeting and your boss or employee came in wearing their pyjamas. I remember in the seminary that if we had guests come while we were cooking we would greet them while at the same time apologising that we could not shake their hands because our hands were wet or covered in food stuff, and maybe offer our wrist or an elbow instead. Or other times where we would be out at work in dirty, tattered clothes, we would apologise for our appearance. Does not God deserve at least that much respect, and does not deserve so much more? Should we not prepare ourselves to meet and worship God? You might remember the story of Cain and Abel where Abel would offer his best and the smoke of his sacrifice going straight up to God while Cain would offer whatever was left over and the smoke of his offering would not rise but rather sink to the earth. The word worship translates into Latin as “Adoratio”, the word where we get adoration. It signifies a profound reverence and worship, especially directed toward the divine. The etymology of the word adore is a profound act to beseech, entreat, or ask in prayer. We come to Church to adore our God, to offer Him proper worship.

We are blessed to be able to approach God in the Blessed Sacrament. We are so blessed that we can speak to Him at any time in prayer. He offers to be with us all the days of our lives and to be present within us through Holy Communion. God wants to be with us. He who is worthy of all honour and respect. He is worthy of our adoration.

In today’s gospel we read that the temple had become a place of business. Sure they were selling stuff related to religion but the hearts of the vendors were not on God. Christ words in today's Gospel, “stop making my Father's house a marketplace.” and in a parallel Gospel it is written, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers.'" Matthew 21:13. What do you think He would say today? Do we give today the right and proper reverence to God and His Church and His priests, or are we trying to change the Church into something different? Is God the centre or is He the inconvenient extra.

There are two types of people: those who love God and those who do not. This distinction will be an eternal distinction. Those who love God will go on for all eternity loving God and those who don’t love God will go on not loving Him for all eternity. This is why we need to start loving Him now. Love is not a mere feeling, it is the giving of oneself to the beloved, wanting the beloved happiness.

How we treat the things which belong to God is a good indicator and measure of the degree of our love for Him. How we treat those things and people consecrated to Him, (the priest and nuns, churches and holy places, holy images and sacred objects) tells a lot about what we think of God. How we use His Holy Name is another indication of what God means to us. Using His Holy Name vainly or in a vulgar manner is a symptom of a lukewarm heart lacking reverence to God. How we try to keep His commandments and the laws of His Church, how we keep the Lord’s day is another sign of our reverence or lack of reverence to God. For these are means we express our love for God.

Some people come to church early, bless themselves, genuflect to the Hidden God in the Eucharist and then go and sit or kneel and pray. They thank Him for all the blessings they have received this week and ask His help, His continued blessings for their families and themselves. What a show of love and reverence to God.

God is here. He is here in the flesh waiting for you. Will you come visit Him sometimes and talk with Him?