Many Jewish scholars are offended by this passage from the Gospel.

By what right did Jesus attack those who were merely providing the logistics for the temple sacrifices and thus it would appear he was questioning the sacrificial rites themselves, though they were established by the mosaic law.

By what right did he do these things. Contemporary Judaism of course does not do animal sacrifices any more and perhaps would not even if the temple were rebuilt.

However, It is somewhat difficult to understand what the meaning of this text is, save perhaps it intends to show that for all his gentleness and kindness Jesus had a passionate and even on occasion furious side.

Fr. Greeley's Last Book:

Once upon a time a high school principal discovered that someone had stolen the exam questions from her office. It had to have been the sophomores because they were the only ones whose grades shot up. She assembled all the sophomores in the gym and tore into them. I don’t know who’s more stupid she said, the one’s who stole the tests and then gave them to everyone else or the ones who use the stolen tests to improve their grades.

Either way we were bound to catch you. So you’re not only sneaky and dishonest and corrupt. You’re also dumb. We’re suspending the lot of you indefinitely until we find out who stole the tests. Tell your parents not to bother to come over here and try to change my mind. I won’t talk to them. I won’t even waste my time telling them that their children are crooked and dumb.

If the people who did it confess, we might not expel them, but they don’t have much time to fess  up. Then she stormed out of the gym. The sophomores slipped out in twos and threes. I agree with what she said, they admitted, but I didn’t like the way she said it.

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Gospel Reading: Jn 2:13-25
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father's house a marketplace."
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
"What sign can you show us for doing this?"
Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?"
But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he was in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing.
But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.
He himself understood it well.

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Psalm 19:7-10

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;  the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;  the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever;  the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;  sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Why Stay Catholic?
Catholic publishing eminence Leach asks, and answers, a good question that the nation’s second largest non-congregation – the church of ex-Catholics poses.
This book has a chapter about Fr. Greeley and is dedicated to him. Great read!
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