Daily Bible: You Are the Temple
In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 47:1-12, the prophet shares his vision of a river flowing from the temple, giving life wherever it flowed. The river represented the Covenant, the love of God flowing into the world. For the Jewish people from the time of Solomon until its destruction in 70AD, the temple was the central sign of the Covenant.
Psalm 46:2-9 continues the theme of life-giving water connected to the Covenant. The psalm seems to reflect the river that ran through Eden. But the psalmist also makes it clear that God is the source of life and goodness, the river an expression of God’s love.
When we hear Saint Paul’s words in 1Corinthians 3:1-17, do we realize how important the temple is? Saint Paul says, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” I think we sometimes see this as a trite statement. But we need to remember how important the temple was to the Hebrew people. Saint Paul tells us that just as the temple was the center of the Covenant for the Hebrew people because it housed the presence of God, so our bodies are now the center of the Covenant under Jesus because God’s grace – the presence of the Holy Trinity – resides in us. This is especially a reflection of the Holy Eucharist, which is Jesus coming to dwell in us.
In John 2:13-22 we see Jesus’ esteem for the Temple as the House of God. Not only does the Lord purify the temple of greed and materialism, He then reveals that He is the true Temple of the Covenant. His passion for the old Temple is not diminished by the presence of the New Covenant. Whether it’s the temple made of stone or the temple made of living stones, the temple is the presence of God to us.
Reflection Questions
1. How do you treat your body like a temple? When you look in the mirror, how do you remain yourself that what you see is holy?
2. How can you increase your appreciation of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus entering your body to make you His temple and tabernacle?
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