Third Sunday of Lent — Places of Sacred Worship — Temples

St. Michael’s Albion & St. Bonaventure in Raeville

I, Fr. John Hagemann OSB, originate from Albion, Nebraska. St. Michael’s parish and church in Albion will always mean much to me for many, many reasons. But there are other churches near Albion that mean much to me as well — St. Bonaventure’s in both Raeville and Columbus, St. Francis of Assisi in Humphrey and many others.

The gospel for this third Sunday deals with a place of worship, a temple, being misused and abused. Jesus is not happy to say the least! But then he also speaks of another temple, his own body. His listeners do not understand immediately what he is talking about when he says: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

Places of worship are, indeed, to be treated as sacred and holy, but likewise are our bodies which really are the first dwelling places of none other than God for all of us and others.

We are reminded this 3rd week of Lent of our own sacred places of worship, temples in our lives. But more importantly we need to be aware of our individual dwelling places of God within us and others.

– Fr. John Hagemann OSB