Something Greater

Homily for Friday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Today we hear Haggai speak of the rebuilding of the temple after the exile in Babylon. The people are discouraged because the new temple seems unimpressive compared to Solomon’s. But God promises: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house”. It’s a prophetic encouragement that something greater is coming.

Luke reveals that “something greater” is Jesus himself. When Peter declares, “You are the Messiah of God,” Jesus confirms it—but also foretells his suffering, death, and resurrection. This is the unveiling of the true temple: not a building, but the person of Christ.

In the first reading, God reassures the people: “I am with you,” and promises peace in the new temple. In the Gospel text, Jesus—the embodiment of God’s presence—walks among the people. His mission is to bring peace, not through architecture, but through sacrifice and reconciliation.

Haggai’s prophecy looks forward to a future glory that surpasses the past. Though it speaks in terms of temple restoration, it hints at a messianic hope. Luke shows that hope fulfilled. Jesus is the cornerstone of the new spiritual temple, and his suffering is the path to glory. The “greater glory” promised in Haggai finds its ultimate expression in Christ’s resurrection.

As we would expect, prophecy in the Book of Haggai reveals the shift from physical restoration to spiritual fulfillment. Haggai encourages a discouraged people with a promise of future glory. Luke reveals that glory in the person of Jesus, who redefines what it means to dwell with God—not in a building, but in relationship.

We are now living in that time of glory brought about by the resurrection of Jesus. Through the sacraments, the Church has brought about part of that glory in the here and now. Like the people of the Hebrew Scriptures who listened to Haggai, we dwell in hope for the continued revelation of that glory in the future. It is a return to that theme of “now but not yet.” Herein lies the importance of the Eucharist, for the Eucharist is a foretaste of the future as well as the promise that God is among us.