Jesus Prefigured by the Old Testament Temple
How did worship evolve in the Old Testament, and how did it prepare God’s people for Christ? That’s the focus of this month’s Full of Grace Youth Journal.
Rebuilding the Temple
After the Babylonian Exile, the Israelites rebuilt the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant—and so the presence of God—was missing from the Temple. However, now that the Temple was rebuilt, the Israelites could resume sacrificial worship.
Formal Worship
More, during the Babylonian Exile, Torah study became a central form of worship. When worship resumed with the Second Temple, Torah study didn’t become part of formal worship. But the Israelites continued to study the Word in their own prayer.
Established by Christ
How did this point to the Christian liturgy? The Christian liturgy as established by Christ consists of two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The liturgy of the Old Testament was growing to prepare God’s people for the Mass.
Second Temple
The Second Temple also prefigured Christ. Among other things, the Temple prefigured Jesus Himself. Haggai prophesied that the Second Temple would be more glorious than the first, but the second was never as grand as the first. Instead, this prophecy referred to Jesus—the Temple that was destroyed and which Jesus rebuilt in three days.
Temple of God
Learning about Old Testament worship teaches us how we can glorify God ourselves. As part of the Body of Christ, you are a temple of God. One way to glorify God is to live a life pleasing to God, following His commandments and striving for virtue.
Do you know a child who should be receiving the Full of Grace?
If you know a youth who would benefit from receiving monthly editions of Full of Grace, where they’ll dive into the liturgy and other aspects of their faith, sign them up today! Enroll them in The Youth Guild of Saint José Sánchez del Río at YouthGuild.org.
Full of Grace is a monthly journal for those enrolled in The Youth Guild of Saint José Sánchez del Río. Each journal includes a feature on a young saint or blessed, a daily consecration to Our Lady of Fatima, prayer cards and memory verses, Q&A, and art submitted by members of the guild!
Any youth is welcome to enroll. At their enrollment, youths will receive four special benefits:
- On the Feast Day of Saint José Sánchez del Río, February 10, the Shrine will host a special Mass for the youth guild, at the conclusion of which the celebrant will bless guild members with a first-class relic of Saint José Sánchez del Río.
- The youths enrolled in the Guild are remembered in the Prayers of the Faithful daily during Holy Mass.
- As members are commended to the special intercession of Saint José Sánchez del Río, each guild member receives a medal of the young saint.
- Members receive monthly editions of Full of Grace.
