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Den of . . . ?

And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers.”


This passage from the gospels has always intrigued me. Even though it does not actually say Jesus was angry, there is no doubt about it. This is not the "meek and mild" Jesus so many people are comfortable with. Unless you are a modern Protestant "seeker sensitive" club (I cannot call it a church, even loosely so!) that has a starbucks and taco bell in the narthex, there is little concern about money changers disrupting prayer. Thus, I wonder what would Jesus be upset about if He entered a Catholic Church today? Who would he beat and throw out?


Here are a few optional paraphrases that Jesus might say:

1) "You have made it a den of cell phones"

2) "You have made it a den of fashion statements"

3) "You have made it a den of pop music"

4) "You have made it a den of entertainment"

5) "You have made it a den of innovative rule-breaking"

6) "You have made it a den of clergy celebrity adoration"

7) "You have made it a den of receiving Communion in a state of grave sin"


What else can you come up with?


 
 
 

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St. George Catholic Church, 1404 E Hines St, Republic, Missouri, Phone:(417) 732-2018, Email Here 

Crest of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
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