Holy Apostles and Deacons Prochor, Nicanor, Timon and Parmenas.
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
1 Corinthians 14:26-40; Matthew 21:12-14, 17-20.
Read Matthew 21:12-14, 17-20
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
The prophetic act of the cleansing of the Temple is a very important act in the life of Christ. This action shows the fulfillment of the prophesy of Malachi 3:1-6, that the Lord God will come Himself to correct and purify the Temple. When we look at the four Gospels we notice that this purification occurs at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of John and at the end in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Perhaps St. John chose to thematically group the life of Christ instead of presenting it chronologically? Or some of the Fathers, like St. John Chrysostom, believe that the cleansing of the temple occurred twice:
“John’s Gospel also reported this, but at the beginning of his narrative. But now in Matthew we are coming to the end of the narrative. Thus it is probable that this was done twice and on different occasions. That there was a first cleansing of the temple and then a second is evident from many evidences. In John’s Gospel he came at the time of the Passover. Here it was before Passover. In John the Jews said, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” In Matthew they hold their peace, though reproved, because he was not marvelled at among all the population. If this happened on two different occasions, this becomes a heavier charge against the Jewish leadership. He did it only once but a second time, and still they continued their buying and selling and called him an adversary of God. They should have learned from the first cleansing to honour his Father and his own power. They could see his works agreeing with his words, and they could behold his miracles. The could hear the prophet pointing to him. They could see the children attesting him in a manner beyond their age. But all this did not persuade them. Instead, “they were indignant.” So he brings in Isaiah” as their accuser when he says “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” (The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 67.1.)
Today, our Lord wants to cleanse the temple of our heart. The question for us to reflect on in not so much if Jesus historically cleansed the Temple once or twice—we can have an opinion either one way or the other— but rather we should personally reflect on the state of our heart. Is it a worthy place for the Lord? Do we allow Jesus to enter? Do we allow Jesus to cleanse it? Do we give him the authority to govern over our heart? For just as he entered Jerusalem as a humble King, so he desires to enter into the temple of our heart through the reception of the Holy Eucharist.