5th Week in Ordinary Time (II) : Monday 9th February 2026

The first reading recalls the dedication of King Solomon’s Temple, and the enthronement of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, the most sacred precinct of the Temple. It was an important moment in the history of Israel when the God of Israel, whose presence was revered in the Ark, took up residence in the city of Jerusalem, and all worship became centered in the Temple dedicated to Him. This temple would one day be destroyed by the Babylonians, but then reconstructed after the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem.

While we believe Christ to be present in our churches, especially in the Eucharist, Catholics do not have the same attitude towards our places of worship as the Jewish people did towards their unique temple, in which they believed God resided. In fact, as St Paul teaches us, as Christians we believe that Christ is present to us not so much in any building but rather in the Mystical Body of Christ, which is made up of each one of us (1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17). He goes on to say each individual is a temple of God and that the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us. It is because of this that we must treat each other with reverence and respect. It is because of this that we need to honour the inherent goodness of each individual and recognise the presence of God in one another.

PRAYER:   Lord, help me recognise You in each individual I encounter.