Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we hear from the book of Ezra. Ezra tells part of the story of the Jews return to Israel after the Babylonian captivity.
For over a hundred years, Jews had lived and worked in Babylon, cut off from their traditions, their history, their rituals, their stories, and their worship. A generation of Jews was growing up without knowing about God freeing their people from slavery in Egypt, they grew up without known the promises God made to Abraham, without the knowledge of the ten commandments or the promised land, and without the Temple, the center of their faith. They grew up only knowing the gods and practices of Babylon-- a culture which practiced child sacrifice, polygamy, and other behaviors condemned by Jewish law.
The Babylonian King Artaxerxes allowed Ezra, the priest, to lead the Jews back to Jerusalem, which they found in ruins--her walls breached and knocked down, the great temple destroyed. They wept.
A campaign was launched by Nehemiah to rebuild the temple and Ezra the priest endeavored to reeducate the people who had grown ignorant of their history, of their traditions, rituals and practices—to teach the people who they were, their identity, and the laws of the faith which enabled them to be the people God had chosen them to be.
We heard today of the completion of the building of the Temple, which took much effort and many sacrifices to complete, yet, when it was done, the people celebrated with great joy.
The Temple in Jerusalem was a foreshadowing of the New Temple, the Church, built by Christ. Though we have great cause for rejoicing, we know that this New Temple was built through the sacrifice of Christ.
He calls us to continue to work for the spiritual upbuilding of the Church. What great joy is found by those who are in captivity when the find their home in the Church. Yet it is up to us to reach out to them, to pray and fast for them, to sacrifice for them, that we may rejoice together in heaven.
May we be faithful today to the Lord’s call to build up the Church, in our labors for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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