This Sunday’s Gospel shows Jesus reacting with righteous anger to injustice and hypocrisy. It’s a scene that has stayed with me since childhood; it reveals a side of Jesus that, at first, seems out of character for a peaceful man. Yet, one could argue that His anger and bold actions were entirely fitting for a pacifist; to truly live in peace, we must first remove whatever disrupts it.
C.S. Lewis is often credited with saying, “You don’t have a soul; you are a soul.” However, the idea actually originated with Christian minister George MacDonald, whose writings deeply influenced Lewis. The heart of that statement is the call to care for our souls—the only part of us that endures for eternity.
When I receive the Eucharist, I often pray that the Lord allows me, an unworthy vessel, to receive perfectly. Though I pray this each week, I know I must be more vigilant in caring for my soul. After all, we are God’s building, and God truly dwells within us.
Just as Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, we must overturn the “tables” in our own lives—those habits, distractions, and sins that poison the soul and draw us away from God. We must resist temptation, silence gossip, and love the Lord with all that we are.
Today, let us look closely at what we allow into our hearts: what we read, say, watch, and think. May we align our habits, attitudes, and patterns so that all that draws us away from God is cast out and all that draws us closer to Him is embraced fully and joyfully.
