Gospel Mark 11:12-25
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

The message
Jesus is an angry man. First of all, he discovers that the fig tree has no figs. In his anger he condemns it to fruitlessness.
Then he sees what is going on in the Temple. He drives out the merchants, and overturns the money-changers’ tables and the stools of those who sold pigeons. He brings the place to a complete standstill.
Not surprisingly, the Temple authorities and the merchants are outraged by his behaviour but the ordinary people support him because they were being exploited by the Temple traders.

The lesson
There’s a lot of anger around these days. People are angry at the banks and at politicians over the collapse in the economy. There is tremendous anger at the Church following the Ryan and Murphy Reports. This anger has uncovered other forms of anger at the institutional Church: at the minimal role for “lay” people, especially women, and the culture of secrecy and clericalism that exists in it.
Sometimes we can be uncomfortable with expressions of anger. We can think it’s wrong, even sinful, to be angry. And we can be uncomfortable with the idea of Jesus being angry. After all, a popular childhood prayer begins: “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild…” But Jesus was not always meek and mild, as he showed when he drove the traders from the Temple. Someone who was meek and mild wouldn’t have got himself crucified.
Anger is ultimately energy, and anger expressed positively is a good thing. It is energy that can be channelled into change and reform. Jesus’ anger wasn’t destructive. He didn’t want to destroy the Temple – he wanted to transform it so that it would be the place of prayer and worship it was meant to be.
Anger is good when it serves a vision. Our anger at the institutions of Church and State needs also to reach beyond to a new vision of how things should be.

The challenge
In this difficult time for the Church, it can be easy to lash out – at the pope, at the bishops, at priests, or at the media for ‘picking on’ the Church. Think about your feelings of anger. How can we as the People of God use our anger as a positive, prophetic force for renewal and reform in our Church?

The Prayer
“Lord, help me to use my anger for the good of the Church. Amen.”

--- Prayers for the Mass ---

Opening Prayer
God our Father,
Father, your Son accepted our sufferings
To teach us the virtue in patience in human weakness.
Hear us as we ask your loving help for the sick
and all who need your grace and strength.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Prayer over the Gifts:
Lord, accept the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters.
By the bread and wine we offer, make them strong in your love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord

Concluding Prayer:
Loving God,
our help in human weakness,
show to our sick brothers and sisters the power of your loving care.
In your kindness make them well, and restore them to your Church.
We ask this through Christ our Lord