S&F-Confessions of a Cradle Catholic III: Angry Jesus

Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves." (Mt 21:12-13)

Jesus is always thought of as being peaceful and accepting, but remember he is fully man, and obviously he has a temper as well.

This is not the Gospel today, however, in going through the events of Holy Week this is one of my favorites and it gives me a chance to rant, which, as a grumpy old man, I love to do.

Every Christmas season for as long as I can remember I go to Church every week and see the parents from the school peddling gift cards in the back of the church.  While the people buying the gift cards get them at full value, the school gets a cut on each card purchased.  Huh?  Are these parents just the money changers?  Am I allowed to channel my inner Jesus and flip their table?

I know what you are saying.  The gift card sales aren't jacking up the price of the gift cards or charging interest of something.  So the idea of gift card sales does not have a bad intent.  But I'm sure that there were people in the temple area just trying to make money they needed to support their family by selling goods during while the celebration of Passover was going on.  They didn't have a negative intent.  But Jesus still took his whip and drove them from the temple area.  Good intent does not mean good reality.

While flipping the table and making some cool speech would be cool, I resist my urge to do so.  I just don't think it would be accepted unless Jesus actually did it.  However the purpose of this Cradle Catholic Series is for me to fix the Church, at least in the view of a grumpy old man.  So here's my wish for the gift card sales this holiday season, stop selling gift cards, like the money changers, in the house of prayer.  They can distribute order forms but move the actual transaction to the school office or to the rectory.

Now I know when I look at the back of the church this Christmas season I'm sure that nothing will change and I'll see school parents doing their duty and selling gift cards.  Once again I will resist my urge to shame them for turning the church into a den of thieves.  But I tell you this, if I see them selling doves back there I can not be held responsible for my actions.  Those tables doves and all are gonna be a flippin.