The year is 587 BC. The armies of Babylon have captured and destroyed the city of Jerusalem – including the Temple built by Solomon. The people are taken into the diaspora that will be known as the Babylonian Captivity. “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat weeping when we remembered Zion…But how could we sing a song [of joy for] the LORD in a foreign land?” (Psalm 137) There is no Temple, there is no rejoicing.
In yesterday’s first reading we read that King Cyrus of Persia has freed the Israelites from captivity in Babylon, allowing them to return to Jerusalem along with all the sacred items the Babylonians took from the Temple in Jerusalem some 40 years prior. The king’s instructions were to rebuild the Temple and worship God in their tradition.
In today’s first reading, it is now 22 years later, Darius is King of Persia, the year is 516 BC, and finally at long last the Temple in Jerusalem has been rebuilt – not as grand as Solomon’s temple, but at least divine worship is restored to the people in accord with the commands of God as described in the Torah. “The children of Israel–priests, Levites, and the other returned exiles– celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.” (Ezra 6:16) It was a joyous occasion: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. I rejoiced because they said to me, “We will go up to the house of the LORD.” And now we have set foot within your gates, O Jerusalem. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.
I can imagine the great joy of that day. These are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the original exiles – perhaps the youngest of those exiles lived to see this day 71 years after Jerusalem fell. The stories passed from generation to generation recounted worship and praise of God in the Holy City in the Holy Temple – in the Holy of Holies with God again dwelling among them. What was lost has been restored by the mercy of God.
It makes me think of the last time I went rejoicing to the house of the Lord for Mass. Ezra and Nehemiah will later complain about worship becoming routine – which has its place for sure! But at the cost of joy?
Let us be mindful of what God has done for us in Christ. May we worship well, praising God in this sanctuary, with Jesus here in the Eucharist, bring the Holy of Holies to us.
Image credit: Immortals from the frieze of Archers from Susa, ca. 510 BC, via The Louvre, Paris; with Chromolithograph of Darius I, 1810, via World History Archive | PD-US