The Glory of the Lord Leaves the Temple

Homily for Wednesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel’s vision is stark. Those who cling to what is holy are marked, not for privilege, but for fidelity. The glory of the Lord lifts from the Temple—an image of sorrow—yet it does not depart in anger; it pauses, hovers, and waits. The Lord’s presence is never indifferent. It responds to hearts that seek Him, even in a time of confusion or decline.

Psalm 113 reminds us that this same Lord who judges also raises up the lowly. His majesty is not distant; it bends toward the small, the forgotten, the ones who quietly persevere. The psalm’s praise becomes the counterweight to Ezekiel’s severity: the Lord who sees all also lifts all.

In Matthew, Jesus turns our attention to the life of the community. Correction is not about winning an argument or proving a point; it is about restoring communion. The steps He gives—gentle, patient, escalating only when necessary—are meant to preserve unity, not fracture it. And then He offers the promise that steadies every small act of reconciliation: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

For any community, consecrated religious or parish community, this is especially tender. We live close to one another; our lives touch daily. The Lord asks us to be people who mark one another not with judgment but with mercy, who speak truth in ways that heal, who allow His presence to be the quiet center of our fraternity. When we gather—even in small numbers, even in simple rooms—the glory that once hovered over the Temple rests among us.

When Jesus says that he is present wherever two or three gather in his name, he presents a new vision of community. In Judaism, at least ten men were needed before the community could pray or worship. By his statement about his presence, he insists that we recognize Jesus in each brother or sister and remember that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ.

St. Matthew’s Gospel stresses the need for reconciliation. This was ultimately the work for which Jesus came among us; it is also the mission we were given – to preach the forgiveness of sins. Rather than being quick to distance ourselves from the failings of others, we are called to act in a Christ -like manner and further the mission for which Jesus came among us. This identification and response of love, will make the work of correction infinitely more fruitful rather than destructive.

May we be found among those who bear the mark of compassion, who lift one another up, and who trust that the Lord delights to dwell wherever His people seek unity.