Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
September 26, 2023
Daily Reading from the USCCB: Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14-20
When the small group of Jews returned to Jerusalem, one of their most important tasks was the reconstruction of the temple–the expression of their corporate identity. Today’s reading tells us that even the king of the Persians–several years after the initial return–insisted that attention be given to the project.
Not everybody was enthusiastic, but nonetheless the reconstruction of the temple was brought to conclusion in 515, some twenty years after the initial return from Babylon. The temple was important for the Jewish returnees because it was an expression of their identity. It proclaimed who they were.
Our churches serve as expressions of our identity, too. That’s why we treasure them. That’s why we reverence them. That’s why we are grateful for them.
