From today’s reading – Luke 19:45-48 (USCCB)
Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out
those who were selling things, saying to them,
“It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of thieves.” And every day he was teaching in the temple area.The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death,
but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose
because all the people were hanging on his words.
It is easy for us to criticize the temple leaders for allowing the House of Prayer to turn into a “den of thieves.” But what about our own houses? What about our own hearts? Have we allowed distractions (such as TV’s, Phones, Tablets, etc) to “crowd out” our spiritual lives? Are we spending our time shopping and watching TV shows at the expense of praying and studying His word? Do we take any time to be silent during the day or do we fill every spare moment with our screens?
When it’s time to spend time with God, we must create a “safe space” away from our devices and other distractions. We must reserve not only the time for Him, but also the physical space. He should not have to compete with our devices.
Father, I know I am guilty of allowing life’s distractions to keep me away from You. Help me to set aside the time and the space every day to spend time with You so that I can get to know you better. Amen.