Working with the Word

Focusing the Gospel

Key words and phrases: Zeal, consume, Destroy, raise it up

To the point: "Zeal for your house will consume me." Jesus' zeal exceeds merely cleansing the temple. His zeal is for the people to be faithful to their covenant with God. His zeal did lead ultimately to the destruction of his body on the cross. But it also brought the Father on the third day to raise him to new Life. This feast day of our mother church in Rome calls us to a zeal that will consume us when we give our lives for others as Jesus did and live the new Life given to us by the Father. Are we willing to choose this zeal that consumes us?

Connecting the Gospel ...

... to the first reading: The "Spirit of God" dwelling in us instills zeal, makes possible the fidelity that keeps us from destroying the temple we are, and makes us holy. The "Spirit of God" ensures that we stand only on Jesus as our foundation.

... to experience: When is zeal for something or someone stirred up in us? When we love to do something so much that we sacrifice time and energy; when we care for another so much that we give tirelessly of ourselves. This feast calls us to have passion for Jesus, church, our faith, ourselves as Body of Christ.

**From Saint Louis University