Solomon’s Temple
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.
The Book of Leviticus is often overlooked because it is a compendium of hundreds of laws governing not only the major forces of life but also the minutiae. Today the Bible opens to these two chapters which deal with sexual and social conduct . . . two areas that we tend to confuse in society today.
This week at Mass we are reading from Revelation through which we might investigate our relationship with God’s as a conjugal relation: that intimate place where both God and we commune. Commentary and reflection time will lead us to questions: What do our interactions with others say about our relationship with God? What do out actions in the world say about our belief in God? How do our words and actions express God in the world?
We might have a quick response prepared that we have readied in the event that someone or some life event calls us to think about how we might experience an “end time”. We do ourselves a favor when we linger with these words, and when we allow ourselves to remember other scripture verses.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
This attitude of honoring God through all we do is sometimes lost on us. We are a people wanting to have our own way in all things at all times. We seek quick, easy and superficial gratification, fearing to stay long in any one place or with any one person, thinking this mode of living too staid, too conventional . . . too silly and un-hip . . . too boring.
What is it we fear in committing ourselves to a constant and faithful life? Do we want to leave all options open to the last possible moment? Are we waiting for something better to come along? Do we shrink from being controlled without noticing that this reluctance to enter into relationship is a passive form of control? How are we to behave? What are we to say and think? How are we to act?
We are made in God’s image. We have only to look at how the creator treats us to know how to be holy . . . and then we must try to emulate this behavior.
Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.
Written on November 17, 2008. Re-written and posted today as a Favorite.
Image from: http://dwellingintheword.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/379-2-samuel-7/
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