Active Membership Pillar: Engagement in at least one parish ministry

In the Gospel this weekend, Jesus enters the Temple and finds people turning a place of worship into a place of business. With righteous anger, He drives out the merchants and, in doing so, Jesus reclaims the Temple as a space dedicated to God’s glory, not human profit. His disciples recall the words, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

This passage challenges us to reflect on how we are helping to build God’s kingdom here on earth. Jesus reminds us that the Church—God’s house—is meant to be a place of prayer, service, and holiness. As volunteers and workers in ministry, we are not the master builders; God is. Yet He calls us to take part in His work—to help clear away what distracts or corrupts, and to build up what is holy and life-giving.

When we serve in ministry, we take on the role of humble laborers in God’s great project. Whether we are cleaning the sanctuary, teaching the faith, leading music, welcoming others, or serving the poor, each act of service contributes to the building of God’s kingdom. Our efforts may seem small, but they are sacred when offered with love and sincerity.

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple also invites us to examine our hearts: are we building up God’s house, or cluttering it with self-interest, complacency, or distraction? True service begins with inner conversion—a willingness to let God cleanse our motives so that our work reflects His glory, not our own. Every time we serve with humility and zeal, we are laying another brick in the living temple of God’s kingdom—a place where His presence can dwell and transform lives.

So we ask ourselves: How are we, in our daily service, helping to build God’s kingdom here on earth? Are we serving with the same zeal that consumed Jesus, with the desire to make God’s house a true home for all?