Friday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Again, the Lord gives us every reason to hope! After hearing of the great fidelity of many to God’s covenant in the face of persecution, there is the day of the rededication of the altar which had been defiled, on the very anniversary of the Gentiles’ deed. Here is a clear sign of the Lord’s victory over those who do evil. The memory of this re-dedication is still kept by the Jews who starting on December 6 will commemorate it with the eight day feast of Hanukkah.
The Gospel, too, shows the clear evidence of the Lord’s righteousness in the cleansing of the temple. Although there were some who wanted to kill Jesus for driving out those who would treat the house of prayer like a den of thieves, nevertheless they could not, because too many saw the holiness of his zeal, and “were hanging on his every word.” (Lk 19:48) Those who listened so intently to Jesus saw that true and lasting joy does not come from what the vendors could gain, but from the God whom those who pray come to know. May the Lord give us a zeal for prayer, the desire to honor places and times set aside for Him alone. May that honor truly bring us closer to God, and thus to full and lasting peace.