SAINT JEROME EMILIANI (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

. . . this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored.

From the very beginning, God had promised to dwell with his people. He led them every step of the way out of Egypt, in their wanderings in the wilderness, and as they entered the Promised Land. As they settled in the land of Canaan, the Israelites yearned for a place where the Lord could dwell with them. Finally, when Solomon became king, he built an elaborate and costly temple that served just that purpose. Today’s first reading describes the day of the Temple’s dedication. How could the creator of heaven and earth dwell in a building, Solomon wondered (1 Kings 8:27). And yet he did!

Solomon and the people stood in awe of the Lord that day. They knew they needed his presence in their midst. They needed a place where they could come to celebrate the way that God had called them to be his own special people. They needed a place where every detail would move them to repentance and worship. They needed a place where they could offer God a sacrifice of praise.

Even though Solomon’s Temple stood for hundreds of years, it did not last forever. But our need for God to dwell with us remained. As the apostles pondered the gift of the Holy Spirit that they had received at Pentecost, they began to realize that God had made each and every believer a temple of the Holy Spirit! Our longing for God to dwell with us was fulfilled. The Lord accomplished it; through his death and resurrection, he built this new temple.

You are a temple of the Lord. He has chosen you as his dwelling place. He spared no expense to prepare you to receive his presence. He shed his own blood to cleanse you from sin. He gave you his Holy Spirit and created a new heart in you. Along with Solomon, you might ask, How could the creator of heaven and earth dwell in a human being? How could he live in me? And yet he does! As you let these truths sink into your heart and mind, let praise rise up in you. What a right and fitting response to his extravagant love!

“Almighty God, who am I that you would live in me? I am yours!”

Psalm 84:3-5, 10-11
Mark 7:1-13
1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30