Transformation

By Deacon Thomas Stephenson

March 04, 2018

“…for He Himself knew what was in the human person.” These words from the end of today’s Gospel tell us something we probably already realize; that Jesus knows what is in us, what is truly in our hearts. On this Third Sunday of Lent, with only three weeks left until the beginning of Holy week, this may be a good point for us to assess in what ways and how much Lent is transforming us, helping us to grow in holiness, and strengthening our relationship with the Lord. To determine that, we need to take an accurate look at ourselves, to discover what is truly in our hearts.

It is in our hearts that change must take root in order for it to really stay with us. If we just go through the motions during Lent, making only a superficial effort rather than a serious one, we will not benefit from what we are doing. Sometimes, making that serious effort requires us to create the conditions conducive to our spiritual growth.

Jesus recognized that conditions in the temple were not what they should be. The activities of the merchants and moneychangers were actually necessary – many of the people coming to the temple could not bring the animal required for sacrifice, so there was a need for a source, the merchants, to provide these animals, and for the moneychangers to provide the proper currency. So it was not what they were doing that was wrong, the problem was where they were doing it – inside the temple. If the commercial activities had been occurring outside the temple, there would have been no problem. Jesus’ anger at the situation may surprise us, but it was justified. The temple was supposed to be a place of worship, of reverence; it was the Father’s house, where people could respectfully approach the Lord. In speaking with someone about this Gospel passage, she said that life can be such a circus these days, and when we go to church, we leave that behind us and enter into a different place. Not necessarily because church is quiet, but because it’s not chaotic. That is the way Jesus knew it should have been in the temple, too, not a place of noise and commotion.

There is more to what Jesus did there, however. We are told by John that in answer to the request for a sign to justify what He had just done, He said “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”. The John goes on to explain that Jesus was speaking of the temple of His body. It may have been somewhat cryptic to the people in the temple hearing this; at the time, they could not have understood what Jesus meant. But we can see from our vantage point that the physical temple in Jerusalem would soon no longer be necessary for worship. Our Lord Himself would be the new and greater temple, the location of our worship.

There is another temple we should consider, especially as it relates to Lent – the temple of our own bodies, which includes our souls. What cleansing do we need to permit Jesus to do in us, in order for the things that interfere with our prayer, that distract from our worship, to be cleared away? The best way to start that cleansing is to go to confession. And, as Father Robert has mentioned a couple of times recently, fasting is another, powerful way to grow spiritually. As we heard in today’s Collect, God has shown us a remedy for sin in fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Catholics used to fast much more than we do now, and on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday it is required of everyone between the ages of 18 and 59, but it is still recommended, especially during Lent. The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us: “Fasting is a penitential discipline intended to open our hearts to God and others, a means of purification and spiritual liberation, a witness of the depth of our faith”. When we fast, we should do it with faith and prayer, otherwise, we’ll find the only result will be hunger. Also, a reminder that Fridays are days of abstinence from meat, but we may substitute special acts of piety or charity instead.

In the first reading, we heard about God giving us the commandments. We have been looking at what we need to do in order to become more holy, to grow closer to God, and the Ten Commandments are essential to our efforts. They are not simply a set of rules; they are the means for us to attain our conversion and let virtue direct our lives. They do not take away our freedom but enhance it. We are always free to choose; with the Commandments, we can recognize what we are choosing. The Psalm today restates the value of the law of the Lord – the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul, more to be desired are they than gold, and the response sums up the truth – Lord, you have the words of eternal life. We really do not have time to go through all of the Commandments now, but each of us should review them regularly. We all know them, although for many of us they probably reside somewhere in the back of our mind; it’s a good idea to bring them forward and really examine them, especially the first three, which we may not think about very often.

We are always called to increased holiness, and Lent can help us to focus on making a special effort to renew and restore our relationship with God, an effort that may begin in Lent but can continue throughout the year. Let us pray that through God’s grace our Lenten discipline will be fruitful, and be a truly transformative force in our lives.