Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, 2022

1Kings 8:22-23,27-30/Ps 84:3,4,5 and 10,11/Mark 7:1-13

Theme: House of prayer.

Rev Fr Peter Paul

Primarily, the Temple was built as a dwelling place for God. It is obviously clear that even the heavens, the highest heavens cannot contain God. How much more the earth? The Temple represents God's presence eventhough His presence cannot be limited to the Temple because he is omnipresent. However, the Temple represents the fullest presence of God because it has been dedicated to God. Today, not only are our Churches dedicated but most Parish churches and chapels have the Tabernacles containing the Most Blessed Sacrament; the Real Presence of Christ.

Ordinarily, the Temple functions as a place of prayer and sacrifice, and a place of refuge. The Temple is the house of prayer where the Lord listens and responds swiftly to our supplications. Therefore, let us accord it with the needed honour, decorum and veneration. We must never lose focus on this.

We must also know that the Temple is the place of refuge. We must always acknowledge and admit that we are sinners in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. We must be assured that whenever we come to him, he forgives us. It would never be said that we have been denied forgiveness or pardon from God. It is must be a place we desire to be everyday.

By the virtue of our baptism, our bodies have been temples(1Cor 6:19). The nuance is that we are people of prayer. In fact, we are prayers.

We have been made places of refuge for others. Jesus gives us such perfect example of empathising with the disciples and rebuked the pretentious characters of the Pharisees. Let us sympathetic empathy for all we encounter. Let us seek the spirit of the law than the letter of the law.

We pray for the gift of love to be able to empathize with others. May He bless and keep us all.

We pray for God's healing for the sick. God loves you precious one.

Have a fruitful day.

+Padre Petros Paulos+