Homily

I have two friends who are a young married couple. They got married just three years ago. They have three children which she brought into the family from a previous marriage. About a year ago, the wife was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer. Since then, their lives have totally changed. Their hopes and dreams have all been . Yet, they are not without hope. In fact, the pain and suffering that they have all experienced has cleansed their lives of all the things that they once thought were important, but are no longer.

Their suffering has cleansed them. God did not give them this tragedy, but rather, God is pouring upon them the grace to endure it and hope for things that are most important. They now live for each day. They no longer plan for their future, for her life will be ending some day soon, yet they do not know when. Today is enough. Today, the spend more energy on forgiveness and less on complaining and arguing. There’s no time for such trivialities.

Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, in fact his whole life, completely changed the lives of those who were there. No longer could some of them continue to make the living that they had once depended upon. Now, they were being challenged to look to Jesus for guidance and help.

We all are in need of forgiveness and cleansing. When sickness or hardship befall us, we are more aware of the necessity to be living holy lives. When a cleansing happens, what do we do? Do we allow the cleansing to wash over us and leave us unchanged or unmoved? Or do we respond to the grace flowing through us and become warmer and softer people, more open to change and willing to help?

I pray that we will all seek out the wisdom of Christ. I pray that each of us will rejoice in our own suffering. Then proclaim Christ crucified in our own bodies. Then we we may find true and lasting joy in heaven. Amen.