After the people of Israel were exiled to Babylon, they were allowed to return to the holy city of Jerusalem in the year 538 BC. They started rebuilding their city and their Temple. However, they eventually were conquered by another occupying foreign power, the Greek empire. During the reign of King Antiochus IV in the 2nd century before Christ’s birth, Judas Maccabeus was called by God to lead his people to overthrow the Greek domination. He took back control of the Temple and restored the rituals of worship there.
We have been hearing from the books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees in our daily Masses this week. In today’s reading from 1st Maccabees, we hear about the cleansing of the Temple, which our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate in the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. In the Gospel, Jesus quotes the prophet Jeremiah, stating that the Lord’s house is to be a place of prayer and worship. The Mass we celebrate each Sunday in our parish is supposed to be something very sacred. We gather around the altar of the Lord as a community of faith. We are to see our church as more than just a regular building: it is God’s house, a very holy place. Each time we gather for Mass, may we recall the faith that has been passed down to us throughout the generations.
As we hear about the restoration of worship and ritual in the Temple, we also celebrate the feast of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. Tradition passes down that she was presented in the Temple as a young girl by her parents, Joachim and Anne. We unite our prayers with Mary and all the saints today on this feast day dedicated to our Blessed Mother.
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