Third Sunday of Lent

First reading: Exodus 20:1-17
Second reaing: 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Gospel of Saint John 2:13-25

‘STOP TURNING MY FATHER’S HOUSE INTO A MARKET’
The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits. In this system [absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation], which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the enviroment, is defenceless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.
Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium #56, 2013

The Gospel speaks of Christ defending and protecting the sancitity of the temple as a place for encounters between God and people. However, the temple authories decided to turn the ‘court of the Gentiles’ into a ‘holy’ market place for selling the animals required for sacrifice and for exchanging money. The Temple became a place of trade and exploitation and this desecration caused Christ to become angry.

We have turned our world into a place of trade and commerce.

Christ calls us still to protect all that is precious, to be guardians of the earth. Scripture tells us that the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. The treasures of the earth are no longer being used to sustain all people.

Some people who are suffering most from the degradation of the earth are the poorest, who have played the least part in contributing to the destruction of the planet. People in the Pacific are among the most vulnerable communities affected by enviromental change. Low-lying countries like Tonga are exposed to loss of water because of changing weather patters, sea level rises, and increasing severe weather events such as cyclones.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand and Caritas Tonga work to restore facilities that will help ensure a secure water supply for communities affected by these changes in the enviroment. Caritas also undertakes research and advocacy to better understand how people across the Pacific are affected by enviromental changes.

Like Jesus overturning the tables in the Temple, we undertake this work on behalf of the poor. How does the way we treat our earth anger God today? How can we be guardians of God’s creation?

Our enviroment is closely aligned to our lifestyle choices and what we value. By making the market economy our preferred framework for living, we are turning our backs on other opportunites that could enrich our lives and those around us in sustainable ways.

What is one action I could commit to undertake together with other members of my family and community to make an honest effort in caring for the earth?

Creator God, we thank you for sharing your creation with us. Teach us to protect your bountiful gifts and make them available for all to enjoy.

Note: Fr Albano Da Costa, SVD is currently on the board for Caritas Aotearoa - NZ.