# God’s Gentle Spirit and the Cleansing of the Temple
*2020-03-19*

> In this episode Bill Young reflects on the gentle movement of the Holy Spirit, examines Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in John 2, and leads listeners in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, praying for lukewarm souls.

## The Gentle Spirit

We begin with a meditation from *Journey to the Heart* that reminds us the Holy Spirit is “soft and gentle, like a small voice or a light buzz.” In the busyness of our lives we often miss this quiet prompting toward deeper love. The Spirit is not a force that shouts or pushes; it is the Spirit of love, longing to guide us to the peace where the deepest desires of our hearts are fulfilled. I pray that Jesus leads me each day into His all‑embracing love so that I may love Him back.

## John 2:13‑22 – Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Today’s reading is John 2:13‑22, the episode in which Jesus drives the money‑changers and sellers of pigeons from the temple courts. The Gospel of John often uses the phrase “the Jews” to refer specifically to the religious leaders who opposed Jesus, not to all Jewish people. This distinction is crucial, for misunderstanding it has historically fueled anti‑Jewish sentiment.

Jesus’ action was not an overreaction; it was a prophetic response to the misuse of the temple courts of the Gentiles—an area meant for worship by God‑fearing pagans. By turning the temple into a marketplace, the leaders blocked the very people God intended to encounter Him. We are invited to ask ourselves: do we, like those leaders, allow materialism, gossip, or fear‑mongering to dominate the “temple” of our hearts?

After the cleansing, the Jews demanded a sign, and Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The crowd thought He meant the physical building, but John clarifies that He speaks of His own body. On the cross, Satan destroyed that temple, yet St. Paul reminds us that we are the body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19; 12:27). Thus, the devil seeks to destroy us, but Christ, the true Lion, drives out the corrupting influences so that we may become a light to the world.

## Prayer of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

We then pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, invoking the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The prayers include the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles’ Creed, followed by the repeated invocation: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” The chaplet concludes with a litany of petitions praising Divine Mercy as the source of all grace, healing, and salvation.

## Petition for Lukewarm Souls

The day’s novena prayer asks God to bring the souls who have become lukewarm into the mercy of Christ: “Eternal Father, turn your merciful gaze upon these souls. May the compassion of Jesus, who is mercy itself, draw them into the fire of His love and grant them the gift of holy love.” This prayer reflects the urgent desire to intercede for those whose faith has grown cold, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

## Closing Thoughts

Bill shares brief reflections on current events, including concerns about the Church in China and personal experiences with Pope Francis, but these are offered only as personal observations without definitive conclusions.

*The Holy Spirit gently calls us to cleanse the temples of our lives, so that Christ’s love may shine through us.*