20250923 SURMOUNTING THE CHALLENGES OF REBUILDING THE TEMPLE OF GOD
23 September 2025, Tuesday, 25th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ezra 6:7-8,12,14-20 |
Darius king of Persia pays for the rebuilding of the Temple of God
King Darius wrote to the satrap of Transeuphrates and his colleagues: ‘Leave the high commissioner of Judah and the elders of the Jews to work on this Temple of God; they are to rebuild this Temple of God on its ancient site. This, I decree, is how you must assist the elders of the Jews in the reconstruction of this Temple of God: the expenses of these people are to be paid, promptly and without fail, from the royal revenue – that is, from the tribute of Transeuphrates. May the God who causes his name to live there overthrow any king or people who dares to defy this and destroy the Temple of God in Jerusalem! I, Darius, have issued this decree. Let it be obeyed to the letter!’
The elders of the Jews prospered with their building, inspired by Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished the building in accordance with the order of the God of Israel and the order of Cyrus and of Darius. This Temple was finished on the twenty-third day of the month of Adar; it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The Israelites – the priests, the Levites and the remainder of the exiles – joyfully dedicated this Temple of God; for the dedication of this Temple of God they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs and, as a sacrifice for sin for the whole of Israel, twelve he-goats, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. Then they installed the priests according to their orders in the service of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as is written in the Book of Moses.
The exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Levites, as one man, had purified themselves; all were pure, so they sacrificed the passover for all the exiles, for their brothers the priests and for themselves.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 121(122):1-5 |
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
‘Let us go to God’s house.’
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement
of the house of David.
I rejoiced when I heard them say: ‘Let us go to God’s house.’
Gospel Acclamation | cf.Ps129:5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word.
Alleluia!
Or: | Lk11:28 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those
who hear the word of God
and keep it.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 8:19-21 |
'My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God'
The mother and the brothers of Jesus came looking for him, but they could not get to him because of the crowd. He was told, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to see you.’ But he said in answer, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’
SURMOUNTING THE CHALLENGES OF REBUILDING THE TEMPLE OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20; Ps 122:1-5; Lk 8:19-21]
Upon returning from exile in Babylon, the Jews faced many difficulties in rebuilding the Temple of God. According to the prophet Haggai, they were slack and lacked zeal in the task, whereas Ezra attributed the stoppage to an order from the Persian king (Ezra 4:23-24). These two accounts are not irreconcilable, since different factions were at work in the rebuilding. Nevertheless, a further appeal to King Darius restored the decree of King Cyrus authorizing the rebuilding of the Temple. Darius even guaranteed protection for God’s people during its completion. The Temple was finally completed and fittingly celebrated with the Passover in 515 BC–twenty-five years after the project began.
This is a source of consolation for us. When we seek to rebuild the Temple of God, we too might face opposition, but God will ultimately triumph. He will intervene in human history, raising both political and religious leaders to bring about His plan. He raised up Haggai and Zechariah from within the Jewish community, and He also used political figures such as Cyrus and Darius to support His people. This is why we must never lose hope when facing opposition in building up the Church of Christ. More challenging than physical structures is the spiritual and social task of building up the Body of Christ. Through the faith of Ezra, the Temple was restored because of God’s plan and His unchangeable word. The restoration of the Temple was unstoppable because God was faithful to His promises.
The early Church too, struggled under Roman power when they sought to advance the Gospel and build the Church of Christ. From within, Jewish religious authorities tried to stop the Gospel by arresting Peter and John and persecuting the apostles and Christians. Saul approved of Stephen’s stoning. Yet in the Acts of the Apostles, we consistently see how God responded to persecution with signs, wonders, and healings performed through the apostles. The more they were persecuted, the further the Gospel spread. Neither Jewish nor civil authorities could stop its growth, nor intimidate those drawn to Christ. Indeed, “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Luke makes it clear that nothing could impede the mission of the Church. Still, we must expect delays, opposition, and setbacks in our efforts to restore God’s kingdom. But we can be confident that while the kingdom of God may be delayed, it can never be stopped. God’s promises will be fulfilled in His time.
When working for the Kingdom of God in the face of opposition, how do we keep our faith alive and not succumb to pressure and despair? We must pray for endurance and faithfulness. Without God’s grace and the hope of eternal life, it would be difficult to proclaim the Gospel as boldly as the apostles did, without fear or favour. We must be courageous, even when opposed by political and religious authorities–or sometimes even by our own people–when proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. Through perseverance, we strengthen those who are struggling in their faith. The danger is that if we give up, we not only weaken those under trial but may also cause even the strong in faith to falter. Therefore, we must be patient and wait for God to act in His time and in His way.
In the Gospel, Mary shows us the way to rebuild the Temple of God. It must begin with the individual. Mark’s Gospel highlights the contrast between Jesus’ relatives, who rejected Him, and His true family–those who hear God’s word and do His will. Luke’s Gospel, however, softens this harsh view on the family of Jesus, presenting them, especially Mary, as those who “hear the word of God and put it into practice.” This episode follows the Parable of the Sower, where the good soil represents those who receive God’s Word and bear abundant fruit. This is more in harmony with the treatment of Mary in Luke’s Gospel, where she is presented as one who listens to God’s Word, keeps it in her heart, responds with faith, and seeks to do His will perfectly.
Truly, the most important temple to rebuild is ourselves. As St Paul said, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor 6:19) We must rebuild ourselves as God’s dwelling place and, through that, build up His Church, the Body of Christ. In the early Church, the Christians gathered in homes to worship, hear the Word, and break bread with the apostles. The Temple of God cannot be built as a structure unless its members are first renewed. When we are rooted in the Lord, we naturally desire to contribute to the Church and because we want to spread the Gospel. Sometimes financial struggles arise because we rely only on the same small group of active Catholics. Many others, not yet converted into missionary disciples, remain indifferent to whether the Church has the resources to sustain its mission.
Indeed, like Mary, St Luke calls us to be the light of Christ for others. This is why he placed Jesus’ parable of a lamp under a jar just before the account of Jesus’ true kindred. We are called to be a light in the darkness so that Christ’s message would shine in a world clouded by ignorance, confusion and darkness caused by sin, selfishness, and self-centred values. Jesus reminds us: “Pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away” (Lk 8:18). We must learn from Mary to listen to God’s Word attentively in our hearts. Indeed, because Mary conceived Jesus in her heart, she was able to conceive Jesus in her womb.
Let us never forget that true kinship with Christ means hearing His Word and putting it into practice. It is not merely acquiring intellectual knowledge but allowing the message of Christ to move us to action. It is to believe what we read and accept it “not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.” (1 Th 2:13) And if it is God’s Word, then we will take it seriously, like St Francis of Assisi who took nothing with him when proclaiming the Gospel, and St Francis Xavier, when he heard the Lord asking him, “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (Mk 8:36) Growing in faith is not just about studying theology or Scripture, but deepening our relationship with God, being one with Him in mind and heart, and committing to do His will. In this way, we become true sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment