you and your dignity

Destroy this Temple

Preparing for the Gospel for today that speak about Jesus getting angry to the people selling things outside the temple. I was excited to preach about who the church is. All of us understand in our basic catechism that we are the church the temple of the spirit who gives life. In the Gospel today, Jesus is clearly begging us to stop desecrating the temple. If we will take these words personally we will understand that Jesus is begging us to stop desecrating our self. He is asking us to stop committing sins that destroy his temple… our being.

But I don’t know something in me tells that there is something more in this gospel. I tried to listen more in the inspiration of the spirit and let him be the one to speak. That is way I will beg you if this homily will be too personal. I will not force you to agree but I just want to share the message of the Gospel to me.

Allow me to share to you some of my personal straggles in my formation years. When I was a spirant I was told that I am not fitting to become a postulant for I am effeminate. When I was a postulant I was told that I am not fitting to become a novice for I am entrust worthy for I was accused of stealing something. When I was a novice I was told that I am not fitting to become a Salesian for I am sickly and I don’t know any sports I will not offer something to the young. When I was a student of philosophy I was told that I could not become a practical trainee for I am not intelligent and did not pass my de universa. When I was a practical trainee I was told I’m not fitting to enter theology for I never read the newspaper. Now that I am a student of theology I am told that I am not being a good example of religious life for often you see me not wearing my clerical and I have problem when it comes to relating to others.

With all of these comments I will be honest to say that they put me to crisis. These comments shook my temple. I was angry with so many people to the point of cursing them in giving such comments. These comments were hurtful for some of them are not true and some of it is true and most of the times truth hurts. I tried to reason-out defending my self with all of these things. But I realized the more I defend my self the more I create confusions and more stress in my part. Many times I am force to let go of what I believe to have a peaceful co-existence. But I saw that in the process I’m starting to lose myself. In the processes I realized that I committed the greatest mistakes I ever did and this is losing my identity. So I stop, I stop defending myself, I stop pleasing people stop giving reasons. Instead I just used all of these comments for my personal reflection. They become the source of my self evaluation. I let all of these things help me to see more my motives and my maturity. Though them I get to know myself more I tried not to allow these things desecrate my temple my being.

In our gospel for today Jesus was very angry to see that the temple was desecrated. Jesus did things that many of the people get angry and start questioning him. He became the center of their discussion and sessions. They tried to question him of what authority he is doing all of this things? Jesus firmly answered them by letting them know who he is. I am the “Temple” the temple that carries the covenantal Mercy and love of God. No one will ever stop me in proclaiming him even death. You might destroy me with all your judgmental attitude but in the end truth will always prevail. God my Father will be there to raise me up again.

I am moved of how Jesus knows himself very well. Jesus knows who he is and what he must do. Because of his clear understanding of who he is and his mission he was not afraid to do things he must do.

I think this is the message of the Gospel for today. Jesus is teaching us one basic thing as future pastors. Never, never ever forget who we are and what we are for the moment we forget who we are, we will start desecrating our self the temple God.

Jesus is not totally angry with the things being sold outside the temple. It was very clear that what they are doing is what they believe was the right thing to do. They just want to offer to God what is unblemished. But what makes Jesus angry was that the people are missing the essential the core of everything that they are doing. God doesn’t need rams and bullocks to be offer to Him. What God really want is “us.” For the pass days we been hearing in our readings individuals ready to die, ready to offer one self to God. They understood that everything is owned by God for everything comes from Him. God want us to offer our true self to him and nothing more. That is why Jesus shouted to stop making the house of God a house of thieves. Remember that everything that we have, everything we are is from God. Jesus is stopping us in steeling what is God. Our self belong to God.

My dear brothers do not offer to God what is not true he has made us stop pretending and offering what is not true. Many will criticize you, judge you, question you, joke you or even condemn you about the things you are doing and say that you are not worthy to be offered for you are blemished. But as long as you know yourself, as long as you know what you are doing is not evil or such, let it be that way. As what Jesus said in our Gospel “hang on it. ”Let no one desecrate you sacred Temple …your personhood your dignity. For God has entrusted you to take care of his greatest creation.