There is a
saying that goes like this: “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Cleaning is very important in all aspects of
life. Most of us use material things to clean something. Like for example, we use
soap to clean our clothes; we use alcohol to clean our hands or we use facial cleanser
to clean our faces.
Do you know
that the oldest soap use by the ancient people are ashes, they use it to clean their
houses, dishes and many others.
I also remember that my mother used ashes also
to clean some of our dishes and other kitchen materials. Naa pa gyoy lain, my mother also used “lugod”
to clean my back during my early childhood. Unsay iningles sa lugod? Weheheheheheh!
There are
many materials in cleaning something and we need it in order to be cleaned
totally. However, in our gospel today,
Jesus uses a whip to clean the temple. When Jesus arrived at the temple, he
could not believe what he saw. There are many people selling cattle, sheep and
doves and even the money changer is also there. The temple is a house prayer
and Jesus could not believe that it becomes a market place. What Jesus did was
cleansing the temple. He let out all the animals using the whip and overturned
the tables of the money changer because his house is a house of God not a
market place or carnival.
We Christians
also believe that our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. If we need to clean
our physical bodies using expensive materials, we also need to clean our spirit
using the sacraments of the church. The church provided us many opportunities in
order for us to be clean. We have the sacrament of reconciliation provided for
us. All we have to do is to come to confession and allow ourselves to be pure
and clean. The Holy Eucharist also reminded us to live in a pure spirit. Church formations
like recollection, seminars, and retreats are venues for cleansing.
My dear friends, we need purification, all we
have to do is to come to the church, embrace the sacraments, and believe in God.
As we
celebrate the Third Sunday of Lent, we are encourage to embrace of the church; hold and live with it as much as you can. Be cleaned and live a pure and happy life. As we think
about Jesus cleansing the temple, we also think of ourselves cleansing the spirit.
Release everything that is filthy inside you. Do not wait for the whip of God.
Be
cleaned right now!
Be pure!
Be like Jesus!
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento