A Closed Loop Opens

Here we are at the beginning of another Lectionary Cycle of the Church. One thing that strikes me every year is how quickly my mind returns to Holy Week as I am reading the Scriptures. While the Book of Acts looks forward to the new developing Church, the Gospel of John returns to the beginning. It is like looking at a closed loop interlocked with another open loop.

In those days, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention upon them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and walked and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

Acts 3.1-8

We learn something important about the early Church. We learn many important things, but today I will mention only one. The ancient Christians, including the Apostles, continued to attend worship in the Temple, and they attended daily, following the cycle of prayers.

It is sad that we no longer even consider attending Church daily. It is even more sad that today’s Christians do not realize the first Christians never intended to ‘leave’ the Temple. Many today think the ancient Christians set up ‘house churches’ like modern Protestants. They’re wrong.

As Fr James Bernstein, a Jewish Orthodox Christian priest, speaks about the ancient Christian worship. He reminds us that the early Christians were forced out of the Temple and Synagogue, and didn’t leave voluntarily.  

At that time, Jesus came to Capernaum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

John 2.12-22

It was just a week ago when we heard the trial of Jesus accuse Him of saying He would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Today we are reminded of the interaction which led to the accusation.

It is sad that the interaction was the result of their desecration of the Temple and His trial led to the desecration of His Most Precious Body. These are the connections that are only possible when we regularly attend Church and regularly read the Holy Scriptures.

The image of a closed loop implies progress is never made. The image of an open loop implies we never return to the beginning. In the Church we do both. We constantly return to the beginning, and we are constantly urged to make progress.

As we approach the end of Bright Week, also known as Renewal Week, I invite you to always look back to inform your choices WHILE you always make progress toward God and Communion with Him. It is how the ancient Christians lived. It is how we should live.