“Encounter, Communion, Mission: The Living Temple in Us”
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
John 2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of scripture, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Grace Prayed For
Heavenly Father, grant me the grace to see myself and others as living temples of your Son; kindle in me a zeal for holiness and sacred space, that I may guard my heart from all that profanes, and in every encounter become a humble channel of your presence, love, and healing. Amen.
Reflection
When Jesus enters the temple precinct, he encounters a scene more like a marketplace than a sacred space. He acts decisively, overturning tables and driving out the animals and money changers. Why? Because the temple is meant to be God’s dwelling, a place of encounter between God and humanity, a house of prayer — not commodified or defiled.
Yet Jesus speaks cryptically: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” His hearers think he speaks of the physical temple structure, but he means the temple of his body. In rising from death, he will re-constitute the dwelling place of God, not in stone, but in his own resurrected flesh. The disciples, remembering his words, come to believe.
In other words, God is shifting the locus of God’s presence: from a building to a living Body, united to Christ. The old temple is replaced by the new temple: Christ himself, and by extension, all who are united to him. We — each baptized, each drawn into Christ — become part of that living shrine, members of his Body, called to bear God’s presence into every corner of the world.
This text draws me deeply into the mystery of ecclesial communion. If Jesus himself is the true temple, then when I unite myself to him, I participate in that sacred dwelling. To be “united to his Body” is not just a doctrine but a dynamic, living reality. I am called to be, with others, a sanctuary of prayer, of worship, of encounter.
When I see my neighbor, my coworker, the stranger, I should see not only a person in need, but someone into whom Christ desires to dwell, someone with whom I share in the mission of making God present. The zeal that consumed Jesus for the Father’s house becomes my own zeal: to guard sacred space (not physical walls, but hearts), to drive out what defiles (sin, greed, indifference), and to renew by resurrection life (grace, love, forgiveness, communion).
Because I am united to Christ’s Body, I am not just a passive receiver; I also become an instrument — a living tabernacle — through which God can act in the world. Each encounter is an opportunity: to give love, to bring healing, to radiate God’s presence, to restore what is broken, to unite what is divided.
I realize that the mission is not optional. If Christ is the temple and I am united to Christ, then I share in that mission of making God’s dwelling visible, tangible, gracious.
Announcing Jesus in Our Lives
Evangelize in Daily Life, Fulfilling My Baptismal Mission
- Be present — In conversations, prayers, work, daily tasks, see the person before me, not merely the task. Ask internally: How is Christ present in this person?
- Serve concretely — Acts of kindness, generosity, listening, forgiveness, compassion, justice: each is a way to embody the Gospel.
- Share testimony — When appropriate, share how Jesus has changed me, how his presence has touched my life. A simple story can open a heart.
- Speak truth in love — Not argument or coercion, but gentle witness, asking questions, inviting rather than imposing.
- Pray with and for others — Invite someone to pray briefly with you; intercede for their needs; let prayer be a bridge to deeper conversation.
- Live integrity — Let your life reflect the Gospel: consistency, honesty, humility. When others see your life, they see Christ.
- Invite people into community — Church, small groups, service activities — community is a visible sign of the Body of Christ, of unity in diversity.
- Use ordinary encounters — At the grocery store, in traffic, in waiting lines — offer a smile, a blessing, an encouraging word: small seeds of grace.
In all this, the secret is always: abide in Christ, remain united to him, draw from the Spirit, let his life flow through me as his Body. Then in every moment I can live the mission: to restore, to unite, to make manifest God’s reign in human hearts and relationships.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post