You can understand why Jesus is angry with those selling
goods in the market place. The
goods sold in the Temple markets were used in sacrifices so that people could meet the requirements to be ‘closer’ to God. This model needed challenging. They
have turned what should be a place of sacredness into a place where what is
important is monetary value and exclusion. Jesus
is ‘overcome’ with fierce love and passion because of the injustice he sees
before him. 
What temples have
we turned into market places today? Our world is driven by consumerism and
profit at the expense of our environment and at the expense of the resources of
the world’s poorest people. The Book of Creation is now speaking to us to stop
making this house a market place. We don’t have to look too far to see how
climate change is having adverse affects on our weather systems here in Ireland
and in the poorest regions of the world.
Let us pray this
Sunday that ‘zeal for Your house will consume’ us and that we will take the
necessary steps to ensure a more sustainable world for all. World leaders
are working towards a global treaty on climate change but they are not agreed
on how to cut emissions to sufficient levels in order to reduce global
temperatures. They need encouragement.
“May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy. And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor”. (Franciscan Blessing) 
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