At the end of the Book of Leviticus the message of God is simple. Everything belongs to God so anything we possess is simply loaned to us and we should use it to build the Kingdom. In sacrificing what we have been given, we make those things and ourselves holy.
As we begin our journey through the Book of Numbers, we see a complete tribe of Israel, the Levites, set apart as a holy people whose role is to guard the Tabernacle; to take it down when the people move and to rebuild it when they settle again.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt he continues to teach us many things. In the episode where the colt is obtained for the journey, the disciples trust implicitly the word of Jesus and his command is fulfilled.
As Jesus passes the fig tree, it is full of leaves but bears no fruit so he causes it to wither and die. We are not put on this earth to wander aimlessly through life, we each have a mission: to proclaim the Good News. If we neglect this work, we too bear no fruit and will wither and die.
Jesus sees that the area of the Temple where the Gentiles worship has been has been turned into a market place preventing any opportunity for prayer. Jesus is furious and clears out the traders because the Temple is a place of prayer for all, not just the Jewish people.
Our own churches today must be welcoming and open to all, not a closed community where only those who fit in to our own group are made welcome. We must encourage families, immigrants, the poor, the elderly and especially strangers into our midst, not only to join us at Mass but to be active members of our communities so that they too may have a share in the Kingdom of God to which we only have access because of the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross at Calvary.
Scripture: Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-25; Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23
Contemplative Catholic 