Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 22, 2019
Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”
Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.
Close your eyes for a brief moment and imagine Jesus.
If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say you imagined a clean, docile Jesus daintily roaming the hills of a bucolic landscape. I know that, for me, a kitschy, porcelain figurine image of Jesus comes to mind.
Today’s gospel takes this porcelain figurine I imagine and throws it to the ground, shattering it. Many of us have heard this passage proclaimed at Mass, yet we often fail to see just how shocking Jesus’s actions truly are. If Jesus were to make this same kind of scene in public today, he would most likely find himself sitting behind bars at the local county jail.
This passage leaves us feeling uncomfortable because it is so easy for us to think the message of the Gospel is simply to be nice. It is hard for us to imagine Jesus acting so violently. Yet he does, and he does so out of love for humanity and for his Father.
Jesus wants to come into the temple of our hearts and drive out all those elements of our lives in which we sell ourselves short of the value that God has given us as God’s beloved children. We all have baggage that burdens us and prevents us from enjoying our relationship with God to the fullest, and God will have none of that. And, if I know anything about human nature, I know that this hurts.
But lots of things that are good for us hurt.
Today, let’s pray for the grace to help us drive out from the temple of our hearts those parts of our lives that keep us from fully loving and serving God and neighbor.
Prayer
“All the people were spellbound by what they heard.” This is a haunting line, Jesus. We know we don’t give your Word priority of place in our lives. Our selfishness and judging of others show that clearly. We listen only to those words that reinforce and “bless” our attitudes, lifestyle, and the choices we make. Yet, we believe we are temples of the Spirit, that you dwell within us. We know we need cleansing, but are afraid to ask for it, for fear that we’ll have to change. Lord Jesus, please help us. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Cecilia is one of the most venerated martyrs from early Christianity, and one of the few who is invoked in a Eucharistic prayer during the celebration of the Mass. She is the patron saint of musicians.
There are a few historically verified details in Cecilia's biography, but the legends surrounding her life have persisted throughout the ages. A notable church named in her honor, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, is traditionally believed to have been built on the site of her home, where Cecilia’s body is said to rest.
While Cecilia was still young, her parents arranged a marriage for her with a wealthy Roman named Valerian, who was not a Christian. It is said that when she heard the music play around her during her raucous Roman wedding celebration, Cecilia barely noticed, as she was singing a hymn of love in her heart for Jesus the entire time. Cecilia had committed herself as a spouse to Christ before her marriage to Valerian. This is one of the legends that caused her to be invoked as a patron saint of musicians.
On their wedding night, Cecilia told Valerian of her commitment to God and taught him the Christian faith. Valerian converted that very night, requesting to be baptized along with his brother.
Valerian and his brother were both wealthy Roman citizens; thus, after their conversion, they dedicated their fortune to support Christian families who had suffered the death of a loved one in martyrdom. Eventually, the two brothers were captured and sentenced to death. The soldier charged with killing them was converted by their great faith, however, and, instead of killing them, took them into his house, begging that they would baptize him and his whole family.
The next day, Valerian, his brother, and the soldier were all beheaded. Cecilia made sure they were buried properly and distributed the goods of their households among the poor.
Eventually, Cecilia herself was captured for her bold proclamation of the faith, and she was condemned to die by suffocation in steam baths. Despite remaining in the baths for a day and a half, Cecilia remained unharmed and able to breathe freely.
Legend has it that a soldier was sent to behead Cecilia, but after the three blows of the sword allowed by law, her head was not severed. She appeared incapacitated but peaceful, joyfully awaiting her death and union with Christ. Faithful friends gathered around her and waited with her until she died three days later. She was buried by the pope himself.
In 1599, when Cecilia's body was exhumed from under the church in Rome, it was reportedly found incorrupt, as though she had just been laid in the ground.
Some of St. Cecilia’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians—pray for us!
Bibliography
1. Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. "Cecilia." In The Encyclopedia of Saints, 71-72. New York: Visionary Living, Inc., 2001.