The Jewish people fervently believed that the presence of God dwelt in the Temple. So when the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem in 586 BCE, the pain of invasion and exile was made even more bitter by the tragedy of the destruction of the Temple.

About 70 years later, the Jewish exiles returned to Judah and the Lord encouraged the people to rebuild the Temple. Today's first reading describes these humble beginnings. Although there is no Temple in which the presence of the divine may dwell, God emphasizes that God is still very much with the people. "My spirit abides among you; do not fear." They receive an invitation to trust deeply in the presence of the Lord, a presence that transcends even sacred buildings. God promises that the second Temple will see even greater prosperity and splendour than the first.

This rebuilt Temple stood for more than 500 years as a place of prayer and worship. It was the same Temple that Jesus visited and knew. The people who rebuilt the Temple may never have dreamed that one day the presence of God would come in such a tangible and wonderful way.