One cannot come away from reading Ezra chapter 6 (one of the Bible readings for Mass today in the Catholic calendar) without palpably feeling the joy of the people seeing the Temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem after a bitter defeat and lengthy exile. A huge sacrifice of many animals accompanied the joyful celebration of the Temple's dedication. May we Christians have the same grateful joy at the one perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God, which opens us – body and soul – to be built up as a living Temple of the Holy Spirit, and by grace makes us part of the communion of saints, the largest body of grateful and joy-filled people ever!

September 24, 2013 

Rev. Msgr. William J. King