St. Paul said, "Destroy God's Temple and God will destroy you", and "Your body is God's Temple and His Spirit dwell in you".

What is the meaning of 'God will destroy you'?

Jesus was pointing on the two natures of a human person. The sinful nature, that welcomes the Devil into our lives and the other one was the pure human nature that co-operates with God to salvage the souls and the Temple of God.

It is not enough to merely emphasize on the souls alone. Jesus came and died for us to restore our flesh into, its state before the fall of mankind.

The spiritual fact is that the souls are recipients of whatever, we welcome into our lives. If the Devil, was given power and authority to operate in our lives, the souls would be dragged along to darkness too. The Devil would feed the souls with all the evil spirits and sins.

Yes! Indeed, whoever was responsible for destroying God's Temple, in our bodies, would be destroyed by God. Here the culprits were the Devil and the sinful human nature in us.

We cannot blame God, when our souls are being destroyed, by our foolish decision.

Jesus said, "If your eyes caused you to sin, dig it out. If your hands caused you to sin, chopped it off".

What was this 'body', that St. Paul, filled with God's Spirit was talking about.

Since our bodies are God's dwelling place, or His Temple, therefore there shall be no impurity in this Temple of God. So if our 'eyes' caused us to defile, the Temple of God, it is better for that part to be removed, then for the Temple of God, to stand without His presence. God cannot tolerate any rival, as was mentioned that God was a jealous God. What does it mean by 'jealous God'?

Had God every right to be jealous?

Let's reflect on the relationship between spouses. Had our spouse, every right to be jealous and felt uneasy, if there was a third party coming along with an ulterior motive?

A marriage is a covenant, whereby, each person, offers up oneself to the other. That unique bond was sealed by the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

Since Abraham's time till the time of Jesus Christ, God made a covenant with His people, they were sealed with the blood of animals. Jesus Christ sealed a New and Everlasting Covenant with the people of God, through offering Himself to be The 'Lamb of God'. By this New Covenant Jesus offers Himself us Groom. The other party was mankind, whom God the Father, had chosen as Bride for His Son. Those who were baptized, were bound by this Covenant. Jesus give Himself personally to each one of us and as community, called the Church.

When we give ourselves in marriage, we have to detach ourselves from our parents and be attached to our spouse. The two shall become one. So it is the same with Jesus and mankind. When we were baptized, we have to detach ourselves from our old ways of living and be open to the new ways, in this new family. Therefore it is not enough, to call ourselves Christians and not willing to make sacrifices to adopt to the ways of Jesus Christ. God calls us all to be disciples and there are cost to this relationship. Being Christian from the outside, is really living a life deceiving, ourselves and no one can fool God.

Being a Christian is a spiritual journey, with the Trinity Godhead, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Digging out of eyes and cutting of hands do not apply to physical but spiritual. Jesus has to explain in this ways, so that the people could understand the pain and the agony of living without the most important elements of our bodies.

Sin and the Devil is an enemy of God. God would not permit any other gods or goddesses to dwell in His Temple. He would either vacant the Temple or restore it.

In the Garden of Gethsamane, Jesus cried in agony and grieved for the Jewish leaders and people. For the very purpose of His coming, was for their salvation.

That was the promised God gave to their ancestors for their faith and obedience to God. Jesus was the fulfillment of that promised. He was the price, yet was rejected without mercy.

What was the peace that Jesus was talking about? This was not merely worldly peace but inner peace of the hearts.

These words of Jesus clearly reveal, to us all, that salvation was first and foremost meant for the Jewish people. Jesus powerfully and sternly criticized their religious leaders, in order to enlighten them, but they were too arrogant and indeed selfish. For the whole flock of Jesus' sheep and lambs were being led astray by them. They were the religious and influential people, whom the Jewish race looks up, for guidance.

So by their actions, God decided to punish or chastise them harshly, so as to save them. Their magnificent Temple or center of worship, would be destroy. Their 'veil', would be remove, but would they see clearly, or would they replace that removed veil, with others.

The Words of Jesus took effect, after Jesus Himself, became the Temple of God, replacing the material, concrete building. In Him shall we offer up perfect worship, in 'Truth and Spirit'. That is in Jesus the Truth and in unity with the Holy Spirit, shall our worship be pleasing. The Holy Spirit is the sole sanctifier, brought possible through Jesus, 'The Lamb of God", through the Will of the Father.

In His Temple all the 'money changers, birds and animals sellers', or as a whole anything short of worship shall not be acceptable and welcome in this Mystical Body of Christ, or 'Temple of God'.

Jesus always tried to enlighten them on the Divine Truth of whom or what were welcome and acceptable in the Kingdom of God. Not that Jesus merely loved the physically weak and helpless people, but Jesus was always fair to all, whether rich or poor, healthy or sick, foolish or wise, etc. All are acceptable to God in whatever the physical appearance, status, race, background, etc.

What really matters was the spiritual. Jesus came to open the eyes of those who thought that they are holy and perfect, so that they can see the Kingdom of God, that Jesus was coming to install on earth. Jesus comes to establish the reign of God on earth. Jesus wanted, the Jewish to be the first to have knowledge and to be saved. Yet they were too blind to let God open their eyes. Some did receive Jesus, by doing so, they continued to be condemned by the Jewish Religious society.

The little children, were able to recognize Jesus as 'Son of David', the promised One of God, but not the worldly wise, yet spiritually blind, educated and mature adults. These children with their purity and innocence were consecrated with words of wisdom, a channel of God to open the 'eyes' of the 'blind', adults.

God, through Jesus Christ as Son of Man tried all efforts, until or else turned futile, finally God called it a day. Those Jewish people who humbled themselves and accept the ways Christ preached, would be welcome into this Kingdom. It is a liken to a 'Neutral Ground', whereby all people of all nations are now invited and welcome into this Kingdom, set up by Christ Jesus.

Jews or gentiles, would have to uproot themselves of their traditional ways of worship, to the 'New Ways' that Christ preached. They all enter through conversion, by baptism, in the Name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Jewish people had clanged on to mere ritual, much more powerfully then spiritual realities. Their practices, of physical cleansing were overemphasized, whereas the spiritual truth and reality were taken for granted. Whatever physical signs, rituals and Sacramental are supposed to brings about inner grace and blessing, rather then be complacent about mere physical signs and bubbling of words that does not reflect the reality or disposition of the hearts.

This clearly reveal to us all that the only worship that God wants is the worship of His Spirit, in the hearts that God had triumphed or captured. In unity of our human spirits, with God's Spirit, all impurity would be cleansed off. Only then God would look with delight at the radiant face of His beloved Son Jesus Christ, who shone with a triumphant joy, when He brought before God, the 'Lost Sheep and Lambs'. God accepts us, with delight, as He looks at the 'face' of His Son's joys. This does not apply time and human wisdom with its understanding and knowledge. Cleansing and purification of our souls is a continuous process. It is a state of being. When we are open to His flows of Love or His Divine Blood, there the cleansing, deliverance would take place. If our spiritual senses are sharp, we would be able to sense the purification, deliverance and healing taking place in our lives and the lives of others.

Please do not be confused with the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation that the Church practices.

All Sacraments, signs, rituals, words, etc, to gain inner grace, needed to be accompany, with the same desire from the heart.

The Church, had the fullness of authority as God's Shepherds, Apostles and Head of the physical Church on earth. They are given the 'Key' of the Kingdom of God on earth. They are anointed with the authority and power to forgive sin, proclaim God's Words and to interpret it, so as to apply to our time..

Therefore all those who are gifted with different charisms, are to join with the authority of the Church, as 'handmaids' to build God's Kingdom on earth. All gifts or charisms are meant to be fully exploited, not wasted or for boasting. We are all accountable for what are entrusted to us, now, after death, in what we call Particular Judgement or in the Final Judgement. To hide our gifts, for fear of persecution or responsibility are indeed, very irresponsible. By doing so, we might have lost, that moment of grace. In that moment of grace, when God called us to venture into His 'field', He indeed would give us all the training, wisdom to overcome pride, Spirit of discernment, and the courage, strength to overcome temptations, to face and accept the truth. To be able to endure and persevere, until it bears fruits. Standing steadfast and consistent, in our desires, words and actions. Fearing no persecution, crosses or even willing to die for the truth. By human spirit and strength this is impossible, so when this is possible, the presence of the Holy Spirit, is manifested.

No one should remain complacent with merely being a 'little child' as far as spiritual growth is concern. A dwarfed tree, bears very little, or no fruit at all. Yet, we all have to be like, 'Little Children' in the presence of God. We had to put our full trust and hope in God alone. Being continuously fed but, refused to grow up, is not acceptable in the Kingdom of God. All of us who are baptized Children of God had to hunger and thirst for spiritual food for growth into maturity, so that we can join, hand-in-hand to salvaged souls from perishing in hell and even depth of purgatory. Cleansing and purification starts, when we embraced Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The parts of our hearts that refused to be transformed would have to be restored, after we die, called the state of cleansing and purification in purgatory. With 'Fire' of Divine Love, channeling, through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Logically, if an object is square, definitely cannot pass through a circular opening. So it is the same, with our hearts. If we have lived a life, hopelessly drawn to the values, wisdom, understanding and we had hunger and thirst for earthly treasure above heavenly and God's, then these areas, needed to be transformed, so that our lives and values would be directed towards God.

This Temple of God is not a physical building, but a spiritual one. It is a union of God, with His people, through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ shall be the 'Light' and 'Lamp', in the Kingdom of God on earth and heaven. Through Jesus, God's glory, shall shine on the whole world.

As long as Jesus, who is the shepherd, is with His sheep and lambs, there is nothing to fear.

There are many ways to describe the union of God, through Jesus Christ with God's people. The above describe, Jesus as the Groom and all Children of God, save and drawn by Christ as, His Bride, filled with the glory and Spirit of God.

The angels and all beings in heaven, always give glory and praise to God. As described the linens are good deeds of God's people. Children of God are channels of God's grace to others and themselves. These good deeds, is Divine works, whereby no sinful man is capable of, without a selfish motive.

Our Blessed Mother, Mary's body, housed the fullness of the Holy Spirit. With this power that Mary had given to God, her body or flesh was continuously taught, molded and shaped by God's Spirit. With this trust that she gave to God, her body, soul and spirit, was saved from human decay and human laws of nature cannot overpower her. She is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, or the Temple of God. She worshipped God with her whole heart, soul, mind and all her strength, she offered to do God's Will, instead of her own human will.

We, too are called to join with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whose heart is always with the Sacred Heart, of His Son, as a human being. Joining with her son as a human being, she is one with the Divine Nature of Jesus as God.

To be one with God therefore requires us to be one with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Catholic Church is Blessed indeed to have welcome Jesus' Mother, as The Mother of the Whole Church on earth. Because through this mysterious channels, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself much more powerfully.

Symbolically means, we mankind, who had been baptized into the family of God, are merely water, not yet transformed into wine.

We needed God to work on the field of which, the seed of the Holy Spirit has been scattered. This precious seed, need a good and fertile soil, with enough water and sunlight. The soil needed to be churned and the weed, pulled off. By these actions of God on the field, is indeed very painful. When God gives us the Holy Spirit, during baptism, it was liken to a seed scattered on a field.

God is the gardener and we are the field. God plants His seed into the field and takes care of it.

When it grows and bears fruit, the 'gardener' is to receive the fullness of praise, not the field, who had done nothing.

Jesus said, "I am the vine and My Father is the gardener". Jesus as Son

of Man was indeed part of the plant. We are the branches of the vine. This

was Jesus ways of saying that He is the Son of Man, and only through unity

with Him, shall we have life. God gives us His Spirit, through Jesus Christ as

Man, therefore only through this channel can we share in the Spirit of God,

which is of the Father and Son.

Praise the Lord. Amen.