And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers."
And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people sought to destroy him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people hung upon his words.
Luke 19:45–48 (RSV)
Let your mind's eye picture the sanctuary in your church. It may be the place where you have worshiped from before you could recall, or it may be new to you as you have come to it in recent days.
You can see the altar, the pulpit, the statue, or a picture of Jesus upon the altar. You cast your gaze from altar rail to choir loft to the windows you have known since childhood.
Allow the memories of baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals to flow around you. Recall a lifetime of sermons, hymns, and prayers heard within those walls as the faithful worshiped.
See yourself at the altar, receiving in your hands the bread and wine, the Body and Blood of our Lord. Hearing the precious words, 'given and shed for you.' It may be that a tear works its way from your eye as you recall those who knelt with you at the Sacrament and now celebrate the feast in heaven.
As we ponder these wonders of God's grace and mercy, our reverence as we enter deepens for the place where heaven and earth touch. We hunger for the Word that proclaims God's love for us even as we confess our sins. We treasure the silence of heart and mind in the presence of the eternal Father.
Those who sold in the Temple and resented Jesus' teachings within its walls had forgotten the beauty of the Lord's House. May we never forget and keep ourselves in reverence and awe of so wondrous and merciful a God.