O God, let all the nations praise you! — Psalm 67:4

Mass Readings: Isaiah 56:1-3,6-8 / John 5:33-36 

Welcome Home 

Isaiah foretells the entire mission to the Gentile world when he welcomes the foreigner to the house of Lord and tells Israel, “Others will I gather to Him besides those already gathered” (Is 56:8). In Isaiah’s day, the “house of the Lord” meant the temple: a big stone building in Jerusalem. But Jesus would make clear that this stone building was not the true temple, just a foreshadow, when He told the Temple elders, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19). 

Jesus’ Body is the real temple. The real sacrifice is His sacrifice on the cross. And the real house to which all the nations of the world are called is the Church, which is His Body. Here, all find a home. 

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for welcoming us into the Temple of Your Body.