From the desk of Fr. Phil…

>>click here to view Bulletin March 11, 2012
 Bulletin Insert: St. Dominic Church Financial Statement for 2011

Please remember the Retirement Reception for Fiona today, March 11,  from 2 – 5 in the parish hall.

Jesus’ dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his disciples as a prophetic sign of God’s action. The temple was understood as the dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally to Mount Sinai where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of life embodied in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God gave Moses instruction for worship and for making the Tabernacle, or Tent of Meeting, which was later replaced by the temple in Jerusalem. The New Testament tells us that these “serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary” – God’s Temple in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin so that we may be living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

When Jesus went up to Jerusalem at Passover time, he spoke of the temple as his Father’s house which was being made into “house of trade” (John 2:16) and “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). That is why he used physical force to expel the money-changers. Jesus' disciples recalled the words of Psalm 69: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” This was understood as a Messianic prophecy. Here the disciples saw more clearly Jesus perform a public sign and act of judgment as the Messiah who burned with zeal for his Father's house.

The Jewish authorities, however, wanted proof that Jesus had divine authority to act as he did. Otherwise, they would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of their authority. Jesus replied that the sign God would give would be his own resurrection from the dead: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up". The Jews did not understand that the temple Jesus referred to was his own body. The “tent of his body” had to be destroyed on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus' blood which was shed for each one of us cleanses us of sin and opens the way for us to enter into the presence of the living God. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with our Father in heaven – he fills us with his Holy Spirit and make us temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I wish you a great week. 

Fr. Phil