Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The fourth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “Jesus Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate, He was crucified, He died, He was buried” There are ten (10) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 593.
Even as an infant and adolescent the Lord Jesus would go up to the Temple (cf. Luke 2:27, 42-46). So often we read in Sacred Scripture that Jesus went up to or was in the Temple (cf. Matthew 4:5; 21:12, 14, 23 …). By His presence in the Temple of Jerusalem Jesus demonstrated the respect He had for the place.
The Temple of Solomon was the designated and privileged place for sacrifice to God (cf. 1 Kings 8:63; 9:25; 2 Chronicles 7:7; 24:14; Ezra 3:12; 7:17). The greatest sacrifice ever offered to the eternal Father is the death of Jesus upon the Cross (cf. Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 9:26).
The saving death of the Lord Jesus, the destruction of the temple of His body, begins a new age of the history of salvation (cf. John 2:21). The reckoning of time is not an insignificant nor useless enterprise. We may consider the history of salvation from the Fall of Man up until the Incarnation. Here we meet and learn from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Moses and Aaron and David and Solomon among others. A second period of salvation history could include the earthly life of the Lord Jesus from His Incarnation when He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit even until His Passion. Following the redemption wrought on the Cross a new (third) period of salvation history has begun which includes the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, the sending of the Holy Spirit and the whole life of the Church even until He returns in glory.
In the Eucharist the Lord remains with us throughout salvation history. The Lord Jesus awaits our visits, our prayers, our adoration in the Blessed Sacrament not only on Sundays but every day even as He wants us to be living tabernacles, temples of His resting place by frequent and worthy reception of Holy Communion. We receive the glorious and risen Lord in Holy Communion. Part of the mystery of the Holy Mass is that it makes present the one only sacrifice of Good Friday which truly is an apex in salvation history (cf. Hebrews 7:27; 10:12).
We are able to venerate our local Parish Church and the body of the Lord by our fidelity to Holy Mass on Sundays, by bringing infants and young people to the House of God to be baptized and to worship with us the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr