Lenten Prayer Reflection by Tara Noble

John 2:13-25
​In this Gospel reading, the main focus is that Jesus said He will destroy the Temple and build it up in three days. This is important because He reveals to us that He knows He will soon enter His Passion and save us through His Resurrection. However, there is another very important message at the beginning of this reading. When Jesus entered the Temple of Jerusalem, He was outraged by the fact that it had become more of a marketplace than a place of prayer. This led Him to drive out the livestock and upturn the tables of the merchants.
​Today, our lives tend to be overtaken by the obsession over and desire for material items and wealth. This gospel should serve as a reminder that it is not important to be rich in material, but rich in spirit. This Lent, how can we try to free ourselves from the material world and grow closer to Jesus? Instead of spending money on yourself, maybe donate it to a charity foundation that is important to you or put more money in the collection next Sunday at Mass. By sacrificing just a little of our material wealth, we can enrich our spiritual life and have a meaningful Lenten experience.