Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Readings at USCCB.org |
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110925.cfm

Jesus Loses It Sometimes

The Gospel reading for today seems a little out of context given the time of year, but today we are celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, which is actually the Basilica of Pope Leo XIV and all Popes.  I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Basilica twice and attend Mass there during our World Youth Day trip in 2000.

So, our Gospel shows Jesus angry at the marketplace in front of the temple area in Jerusalem.  Here’s the thing, Jesus loved people so much, sometimes he just lost it. Take a look: YouTube | The Chosen -The cleansing of the temple 

Here’s what was going on.  Faithful Jews coming to the temple for worship first had to buy animals for sacrifice and exchange their coins for those that would be acceptable for their temple tax.  But, it’s likely that the people selling the animals and changing the money were making a huge profit because they had a monopoly over the people that had to deal with them.

The Gospel shows that Jesus was furious about this.  He saw a system set up to take advantage of good people coming to worship their God.  The system especially hurt poor people.  It was an example of how the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ time abused people.  Religious and political leaders are doing the same thing two thousand years later.

Let’s move to today.  Getting angry over injustices isn’t unchristian – but it doesn’t have to lead to violence.  Martin Luther King Jr. is a perfect example.  He fought racism with righteous anger, but never used violence or threats against his opponents.

The closer we grow to Jesus, the more we’ll become angry when we see people – the outcasts, the poor, the immigrants – ignored or abused.  We should use that controlled anger as fuel to stand up nonviolently for people.  Speak up for kids at school who are put down.  Refuse to back away from our society’s outcasts.  Join with other Catholic activists when they mobilize for peace or pro-life, meaning ALL life, issues.  But we always need to remember Jesus other words, “love your enemies,” even while we oppose their actions.

How much better would the world be if Christians would lose it over injustices like Jesus did.  Look around…injustices are all around us.

--Jim