Daily Readings - Sun Mar 03 2024

¹And the Lord spoke all these words²"I am the Lord your God, who led you away from the land of Egypt, out of the house of servitude³You shall not have strange gods before me⁷You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold harmless one who takes the name of the Lord his God falsely⁸Remember that you are to sanctify the day of the Sabbath¹²Honor your father and your mother, so that you may have a long life upon the land, which the Lord your God will give to you¹³You shall not murder¹⁴You shall not commit adultery¹⁵You shall not steal¹⁶You shall not speak false testimony against your neighbor¹⁷You shall not covet the house of your neighbor; neither shall you desire his wife, nor male servant, nor female servant, nor ox, nor donkey, nor anything that is his.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 1

¹⁸For the Word of the Cross is certainly foolishness to those who are perishing. But to those who have been saved, that is, to us, it is the power of God²²For the Jews ask for signs, and the Greeks seek wisdom²³But we are preaching Christ crucified. Certainly, to the Jews, this is a scandal, and to the Gentiles, this is foolishness²⁴But to those who have been called, Jews as well as Greeks, the Christ is the virtue of God and the wisdom of God²⁵For what is foolishness to God is considered wise by men, and that which is weakness to God is considered strong by men

John

Chapter 2

¹³And the Passover of the Jews was near, and so Jesus ascended to Jerusalem¹⁴And he found, sitting in the temple, sellers of oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers¹⁵And when he had made something like a whip out of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, including the sheep and the oxen. And he poured out the brass coins of the moneychangers, and he overturned their tables¹⁶And to those who were selling doves, he said: "Take these things out of here, and do not make my Father’s house into a house of commerce.¹⁷And truly, his disciples were reminded that it is written: "Zeal for your house consumes me.¹⁸Then the Jews responded and said to him, "What sign can you show to us, that you may do these things?¹⁹Jesus responded and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.²⁰Then the Jews said, "This temple has been built up over forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?²¹Yet he was speaking about the Temple of his body²²Therefore, when he had resurrected from the dead, his disciples were reminded that he had said this, and they believed in the Scriptures and in the word that Jesus had spoken²³Now while he was at Jerusalem during the Passover, on the day of the feast, many trusted in his name, seeing his signs that he was accomplishing²⁴But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he himself had knowledge of all persons²⁵and because he had no need of anyone to offer testimony about a man. For he knew what was within a man

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between God’s law, the power of the Cross, and the authority of Jesus Christ. In the first reading from Exodus, we hear the Ten Commandments, which are not just rules but a way of life that reflects God’s love and care for his people. These commandments call us to reverence God, respect others, and live with integrity. They remind us that our actions have consequences and that living in accordance with God’s will leads to a life of peace and harmony. The second reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our focus to the Cross of Christ. St. Paul reminds us that the Cross is both foolishness and power—foolishness to those who do not believe, but power to those who have been saved. The Jews sought signs, the Greeks sought wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified. This reading challenges us to embrace the paradox of the Cross: in weakness, we find strength; in surrender, we find victory. The Cross is the ultimate expression of God’s wisdom and love, and it invites us to trust in his plan, even when it seems counterintuitive. In the Gospel, Jesus cleanses the temple, demonstrating his authority and zeal for his Father’s house. This act is a powerful reminder that our lives and our communities must be centered on God. Jesus’ words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” point to his own body as the true temple, and his resurrection as the ultimate sign of God’s power. Like the disciples, we are called to remember Jesus’ words and actions, and to believe in the Scriptures and in the power of the Cross. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: Are we living according to God’s commandments? Are we embracing the power of the Cross in our lives? Are we allowing Jesus to cleanse our hearts and minds, making them temples of the Holy Spirit? May we trust in God’s wisdom, live with integrity, and remember that true strength comes from surrendering to his will.