From today's gospel: "Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, 'Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace.' His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me."
De La Salle (Med. 202.3): "It is easy to conclude . . . that your zeal for the children who are under your guidance would be very imperfect if you exercised it only by instructing them. It will only become perfect if you practice what you are teaching them. Example makes a much greater impression on the mind and the heart than words, especially for children, for they do not yet have a mind sufficiently able to reflect, and they ordinarily model themselves on the example of their teachers."
Many people find the story of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the Temple disturbing. This is not the picture of a gentle, loving, merciful Jesus that we keep in our minds and hearts. Yet the story provides us with a true understanding the concept of zeal as the scriptures and De La Salle present it: a single-hearted focus on God with word and action.
In our interactions with students, in classrooms, CWSP, or extracurriculars, do we offer them the zeal that moves Jesus, the zeal that shows our focus on God?
Live, Jesus, in our hearts!