As we journey through the sacred season of Lent, Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom, places before us two passages of Scripture that call us to a deeper conversion: Isaiah 55:6-11 and Matthew 21:10-17. These readings, appointed for Feria Tertia infra Hebdomadam I in Quadragesima (Tuesday of the First Week in Lent), invite us to seek the Lord while He may be found and to purify the temple of our souls. Let us meditate upon these passages in the light of the Church Fathers, drawing from their wisdom to guide our Lenten penance.
“Seek the Lord While He May Be Found” – A Call to Repentance
The prophet Isaiah exhorts us:
“Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found: call upon him, while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God: for he is bountiful to forgive.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)
This passage is a clarion call to conversion, fittingly placed at the beginning of Lent. St. John Chrysostom, in his commentary on Isaiah, reminds us that God’s mercy is abundant, but the time for repentance is not indefinite:
“The time of this life is the season for repentance; the time of the next life is that of retribution.” (Homilies on Isaiah)
Thus, Isaiah’s words remind us that Lent is a privileged moment to return to God, for He is near to us in a special way. St. Augustine, reflecting on this passage, connects it to the grace of God’s Word:
“For He is found by those who do not proudly imagine that they have already found Him, but rather by those who continue to seek Him in humility.” (Expositions on the Psalms, 105)
In other words, Lent is not only about turning away from sin but also about deepening our hunger for God, realizing that we must seek Him every day.
Moreover, Isaiah speaks of the power of God’s Word:
“And as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return no more thither, but soak the earth, and water it, and make it to spring, and give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please, and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)
St. Ambrose sees in this an image of Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who came down from heaven like rain to give life to the world:
“As the Word proceeds from the Father, so too does He make the barren earth fruitful by His teaching, bringing forth the fruits of repentance and faith.” (Exposition on Luke, 3.25)
Lent is the season where this divine rain—God’s Word—falls upon our souls. But are we prepared to receive it? Or do we let it fall on hardened ground, unfruitful in our lives?
Cleansing the Temple – The Call to Interior Purification
The Gospel for today (Matthew 21:10-17) presents us with a striking scene: Our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is followed by His cleansing of the Temple. The people cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” but soon after, Christ enters the house of God and finds it corrupted by merchants and money-changers. His righteous anger flares:
“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and he overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the chairs of them that sold doves. And he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:12-13)
This dramatic episode has profound spiritual meaning. St. Jerome, commenting on this passage, writes:
“If that Temple, made of stone, was not spared, but was cleansed with whips by the Son of God, how much more must we, temples of the Holy Ghost, be purified from the corruption of sin?” (Commentary on Matthew, 21)
Here lies the Lenten lesson: our souls, the true temples of God, must be purified. Have we allowed worldly distractions, sinful attachments, and impure desires to make our hearts a den of thieves? Christ, the divine purifier, enters the temple of our souls and calls us to cast out all that is unworthy of God.
Moreover, we see that after cleansing the Temple, Our Lord heals the blind and the lame who approach Him. This is no coincidence. St. Gregory the Great notes:
“He first drove out those who defiled the Temple, and then healed those who sought Him. For the heart must first be cleansed from sin before it can receive the grace of divine healing.” (Homilies on the Gospels, 2.9)
Thus, Lent is both a time of cleansing and healing. Christ comes to drive out sin from our souls, but He does not leave us empty—He fills us with His healing grace.
Children Crying Out in Praise – A Lesson in Humility
The final scene in today’s Gospel presents a contrast: while the chief priests and scribes rage against Jesus, the little children cry out in praise:
“And the chief priests and scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying: Hosanna to the son of David; were moved with indignation. And they said to him: Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus said to them: Yea, have you never read: Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:15-16)
St. Augustine, reflecting on this, sees in the children a symbol of true discipleship:
“The wisdom of the world is confounded by the simplicity of the humble. For unless we become like little children, we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Sermon 67)
This passage invites us to adopt the childlike humility necessary for true worship. Pride and self-sufficiency blind us to the presence of Christ, but humble hearts recognize Him and sing His praises.
Conclusion: Lent as a Time of Seeking, Cleansing, and Praise
These two passages together offer a powerful Lenten roadmap:
- Seek the Lord while He is near – Turn away from sin and open your heart to the grace of His Word.
- Cleanse the Temple of your soul – Cast out all that is unworthy of God so that He may dwell fully in you.
- Sing His praises with childlike faith – Cultivate humility, for only the little ones in spirit will enter His kingdom.
Let us then take up the Lenten call with renewed fervor, allowing the divine Word to take root in our hearts, welcoming Christ’s purification, and joining in the chorus of those who cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
May this holy season bear much fruit in our souls, leading us to the joy of Easter.
✠ Deo gratias! ✠