Homily For Friday Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Year A, 29th May, 2026

Readings: 1Peter 4:7-13. Ps. 96; Mark 11:11-26

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

THE LORD WANTS TO PURIFY OUR SOULS, WHICH ARE HIS TEMPLE 

The temple, as we know, is described as the sacred dwelling place of God. That’s sacred space where humanity encounters the Divine presence of God. It is a symbolic space where God desires to live together with humanity and rule the world through them. Therefore it is very important to ensure that such Sacred Space (Temple) is kept sacred at all times.

Little wonder in our Gospel passage today, after Jesus had cursed a fig tree for not being fruitful, we heard a very brief story of how he entered the temple in Jerusalem and drove away the traders from the courts of the Temple saying: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?

But you have turned it into ‘a den of thieves’.” So he chased out all the dishonest, selfish and greedy merchants who were making profits by cheating the faithful pilgrims who came to the Temple to worship God.

Here Jesus was not just concerned with cleansing the temple of Jerusalem, but also the temple of the human heart, that is, our souls. He is objecting to the corruption of the sacred. Our body and soul are a temple of the Lord and belong to him alone. It is a sacred space, a house of prayer which must not be given over to the false gods of money, greed and sin.

So, by clearing the Temple, the Lord has also urged us all to clear our own spiritual temples, that is our body, mind, heart and soul, in which God dwells, so that we will actualise the fruit of the gift God has given us.

Hence we are told in our first reading today that each one of us has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, we should put ourselves at the service of others. If you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God’s orders; so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ.

Dear friends, our souls are the sacred dwelling of God’s Temple. Thus, it should be made sacred at all times by ensuring that we get rid of all corruptions, wickedness, pride, ego, greed, wrath and all other sorts of evils within us.

We must resist them and strive to inspire and help one another to keep our Temple sacred. For Jesus wishes to cleanse the temple of our soul by removing what has corrupted it, to purify it for worship, and make it a dwelling place for God in prayer. But are we willing to let him cleanse us?

LET US PRAY: Merciful Father, we are your temple, yet we have let the selfish desires for the things of this passing world to corrupt us so deeply. As we embrace your Words today, may we experience the joy of the purification of our body and soul through Christ our Lord. Amen. Have a joyful day.