“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
    but you have made it a den of thieves.”

luke 19:46

Luke 19:45-48

Reflection

Jesus drives out people in the temple who are selling things, and the chief priests seek to put him to death but are unable because everyone is listening to Jesus teach daily.

Jesus quotes Isaiah, stating that the temple, God’s house, should be a house of prayer. Instead of treating the temple area respectfully, they are doing business without regarding the sacredness due to the holy place. In the same way, we need to properly respect our churches and holy places.

Too often, it is easy to speak loudly and forget about God’s presence in our church. Distractions are easy to come by and our prayer can get interrupted. Today, let us strive to always maintain a prayerful and respectful attitude when in church, remembering the sacredness present there – our Lord Jesus in the Eucharist!

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Saint of the Day

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Presentation of Mary at the temple. Although there are only accounts of her presentation in apocryphal literature, we can still acknowledge and appreciate the idea that Mary was dedicated to God from a very early age. Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!