Welcome to our daily Rosary meditation. Let's begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Let's call to mind all those we've promised to pray for.

We're in Jerusalem. We've had a fabulous day. We began early this morning, walking the footsteps of Jesus on the

way of the cross cross where we ended with a chance to touch the rock of

Calvary and to have mass at the empty tomb of Jesus and to experience the risen Lord coming out of the tomb in the

Eucharist. What an amazing morning. And then we went and were able to see this terrific model of the old city of Jerusalem

and the temple.

So now we're meditating on the treasures of the temple.

The temple was the glory of Israel. It was the supreme physical symbol of their identity.

It was the place where God dwelt. And as such, it was to be the site of the greatest treasures the people had to offer.

Gold and silver vessels and ornaments filled the temple chambers.

Because the only proper setting for extravagance

is in the worship of the all-glorious God. But throughout the history of the chosen people, the temple was

repeatedly at risk of being robbed by pagans. Nabbyikinezer, for instance, the king of Babylon,

stole the temple treasures,

and his son, Belchizar, paid the price when he used those sacred vessels to indulge his

vice with his friends.

Or when the Greek king Antiochus sent his messenger to rob the Jewish temple of its treasure and two angels appeared with whips and beat

Helio draw us within an inch of his life. But even more tragic was when the Jewish kings themselves whose job it was to defend

the temple and its treasure would seek to rob the temple and its treasure, would seek to rob the temple, and sometimes it seemed

with the best of intentions. Our Father who art in heaven, hollow would be your name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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