Deacon Gary Bockweg's Sunday Homily
You can see some pretty amazing things on TV.
I didn’t actually see this on television.
But I was walking through the drugstore
And I saw a section with a sign that said “As Seen on TV”.
And there were some amazing products there.
One that caught my eye was a package that showed
The bottom of a pair of feet.
And on each foot was a wide strip of pure white cloth.
As I read the box I learned that these were magic foot pads.
The description on the box didn’t actually use the word magic.
But that’s the only word to explain how these pads could work.
The pads are treated with special herbs, and minerals.
You put them on the bottom of your feet when you go to bed.
And while you sleep, they cleanse all the bad—stuff—from your system.
Toxins, pollutants, chemicals, metals.
The pads draw it all right out through your soles.
Well, that’s one method of purification or detoxification or cleansing.
And if it really worked it would be a most convenient and effortless method.
But I’m pretty skeptical about that.
I googled the magic pads and found ads for dozens of other products.
Pills and potions and elixers;
All guaranteed to effortlessly cleanse impurities from the body.
Some of those might actually have some degree of effectiveness.
But if we’re serious about getting good results
We’re going to have to invest real effort.
Like physical exercise and a healthy diet.
Purification and cleansing requires our direct effort, action and commitment.
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus taking action to purify and cleanse the temple.
There were improper elements there – right inside the temple walls.
Things that didn’t really belong there.
Toxins that were polluting the spiritual environment.
Things that were draining away the proper energy and life of the temple.
So Jesus cleared them out – cleansed the whole temple area.
This was certainly a Jesus of action.
And not the kind of action we’re accustomed to seeing—but extra-ordinary action.
He’s not patiently teaching and healing.
He’s shouting and swinging a whip and flipping over tables.
After he’d finished, the people questioned his authority for those actions.
And asked for a sign to prove that he had that authority.
As Paul said in our second reading today,
The Jews always demanded signs.
And this time Jesus gave them one.
But not one that provided immediate proof.
He said, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
The Jews didn’t understand that, and they mocked him for such a foolish statement.
But as we know, and as St John makes clear.
Jesus wasn’t talking about the temple building.
He was describing himself as a temple.
That same description applies to all of us as well.
We too are temples.
Jesus told us that he would send his spirit to dwell within us.
That makes us temples of the Holy Spirit.
But we’re all temples in need of some purification and cleansing.
And there’s no effort-free purification method.
Nothing that will magically draw all the toxins and pollutants from our souls
While we sleep.
To drive out the pollutants, we need to take direct action – like Jesus did.
And if we’re serious about getting good results, we have to invest real effort.
So what can we do?
As Lent began on Ash Wednesday, we heard the Gospel according to Matthew.
And there, Jesus spoke of actions that can help us to become more perfect temples.
The three acts of piety: Alms giving, prayer and fasting.
Today is just about the midpoint of Lent.
A good time for a progress check.
Maybe we’re already well on our way in preparing
For the gifts of Good Friday and Easter.
If not, it’s time to take action and begin making a real effort.
Lent is a time for not just ordinary action, but for extra-ordinary action.
Extra commitment and extra effort
In our alms giving, our prayer and our fasting.
Because, even when we think we’re well prepared,
We know that we’re never fully finished.
We always have more work to do,
Cleansing and purifying our temples.
I didn’t actually see this on television.
But I was walking through the drugstore
And I saw a section with a sign that said “As Seen on TV”.
And there were some amazing products there.
One that caught my eye was a package that showed
The bottom of a pair of feet.
And on each foot was a wide strip of pure white cloth.
As I read the box I learned that these were magic foot pads.
The description on the box didn’t actually use the word magic.
But that’s the only word to explain how these pads could work.
The pads are treated with special herbs, and minerals.
You put them on the bottom of your feet when you go to bed.
And while you sleep, they cleanse all the bad—stuff—from your system.
Toxins, pollutants, chemicals, metals.
The pads draw it all right out through your soles.
Well, that’s one method of purification or detoxification or cleansing.
And if it really worked it would be a most convenient and effortless method.
But I’m pretty skeptical about that.
I googled the magic pads and found ads for dozens of other products.
Pills and potions and elixers;
All guaranteed to effortlessly cleanse impurities from the body.
Some of those might actually have some degree of effectiveness.
But if we’re serious about getting good results
We’re going to have to invest real effort.
Like physical exercise and a healthy diet.
Purification and cleansing requires our direct effort, action and commitment.
In today’s Gospel we see Jesus taking action to purify and cleanse the temple.
There were improper elements there – right inside the temple walls.
Things that didn’t really belong there.
Toxins that were polluting the spiritual environment.
Things that were draining away the proper energy and life of the temple.
So Jesus cleared them out – cleansed the whole temple area.
This was certainly a Jesus of action.
And not the kind of action we’re accustomed to seeing—but extra-ordinary action.
He’s not patiently teaching and healing.
He’s shouting and swinging a whip and flipping over tables.
After he’d finished, the people questioned his authority for those actions.
And asked for a sign to prove that he had that authority.
As Paul said in our second reading today,
The Jews always demanded signs.
And this time Jesus gave them one.
But not one that provided immediate proof.
He said, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
The Jews didn’t understand that, and they mocked him for such a foolish statement.
But as we know, and as St John makes clear.
Jesus wasn’t talking about the temple building.
He was describing himself as a temple.
That same description applies to all of us as well.
We too are temples.
Jesus told us that he would send his spirit to dwell within us.
That makes us temples of the Holy Spirit.
But we’re all temples in need of some purification and cleansing.
And there’s no effort-free purification method.
Nothing that will magically draw all the toxins and pollutants from our souls
While we sleep.
To drive out the pollutants, we need to take direct action – like Jesus did.
And if we’re serious about getting good results, we have to invest real effort.
So what can we do?
As Lent began on Ash Wednesday, we heard the Gospel according to Matthew.
And there, Jesus spoke of actions that can help us to become more perfect temples.
The three acts of piety: Alms giving, prayer and fasting.
Today is just about the midpoint of Lent.
A good time for a progress check.
Maybe we’re already well on our way in preparing
For the gifts of Good Friday and Easter.
If not, it’s time to take action and begin making a real effort.
Lent is a time for not just ordinary action, but for extra-ordinary action.
Extra commitment and extra effort
In our alms giving, our prayer and our fasting.
Because, even when we think we’re well prepared,
We know that we’re never fully finished.
We always have more work to do,
Cleansing and purifying our temples.
