Homily for March 7

Dear Parish Family:

We are now at the mid-point of Lent; but, if we are honest, does it not seem as if Lent has lasted at least a year? We might be wondering when the restrictions caused by the pandemic will relax a bit. Perhaps, too, we are frustrated with our own impatience and seeming inability to fulfill the resolutions we made at the beginning of Lent. Today we meet a Jesus who is genuinely angry. He is not simply impatient; he is profoundly concerned about our failure to appreciate the love of God – our ingratitude. The act of driving the money changers out of the temple is profoundly symbolic and defines the fundamental mission of Jesus. What is the root of all sin? Look at the list of the Ten Commandments provided in the first reading. It is really best if we memorize them in order. The first commandment is reflected in the other nine. What are the false “idols” that pre-occupy my attention? Whatever your answer, the sentence most likely begins with “I.” The temple of which Jesus spoke ages ago and speaks to our hearts today is his body - and our bodies as well. Every vocation is tested. If it is genuinely a call from God, however, the grace to persevere is available. We might indeed fail; but is this not an opportunity to experience the healing grace of reconciliation? The anger of Jesus is not so much directed at sinners as it is at those who do not recognize their sinful pride. In Dante’s “Purgatorio,” those guilty of the sin of pride are sentenced to carry a heavy load on their backs thereby forcing them to look down at the earth. The Latin word for “earth” is “humus,” from which we get the words “humility” and “humiliation.” The counterbalance to the prideful is the response of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the vocation presented to her: “Be it done unto me according to your will!”

Blessed Lent,
Fr. Bill Foley