A Reading from the book of Ezekiel Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
The angel brought me
back to the entrance of the temple,
and I saw water flowing out
from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east,
for the façade of the temple was toward the east;
the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple,
south of the altar.
He led me outside by the north gate,
and around to the outer gate facing the east,
where I saw water trickling from the southern side.
He said to me,
“This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah,
and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh.
Wherever the river flows,
every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live,
and there shall be abundant fish,
for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow;
their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail.
Every month they shall bear fresh fruit,
for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary.
Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken
and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.
R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.
Come! behold the deeds of the LORD,
the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!
Second Reading
A Reading from the First letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17
Brothers and sisters:
You are God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me,
like a wise master builder I laid a foundation,
and another is building upon it.
But each one must be careful how he builds upon it,
for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there,
namely, Jesus Christ.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God’s temple,
God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. 2 Chronicles 7:16
I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord,
that my name may be there forever.
R. Alleluia.
Gospel
P: The Lord be with you.
P: A reading from the holy Gospel according to John John 2:13-22
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
HOMILY
Today we recall the Basilica Saint John of Lateran, the Pope’s own church, the Cathedral of Rome. The Lateran was chosen as the Cathedral Rome long before Saint Peter’s was built. It is where the papacy was housed for centuries before moving across the Tiber to where Vatican City now stands. The gospel about the purification of the temple of Jerusalem is apt for today’s feast. The Jerusalem temple serves as a symbol of the Church of today, in the twenty-first century. It conveys both the idea of the temple’s sacredness, and also the need for constant purification of the structures of our Church.
“In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.” Today it is not in our churches that trade, business, and commerce of all kind are conducted; but they take place outside, including on Sundays. Our concentration on material things often makes us forget to go to church. On Sundays, instead of the believers gathering in the church, we see them elsewhere, going about their business. “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Can we let ourselves be consumed, like Christ, with enthusiasm for worshiping God? May desire to fill the house of God fill our hearts! May this church where we are gathered be the place of prayer, and not one of trade! May the universal Church which unites all believers be a community of humble worship, led by pastors deeply imbued with the spirit of Christ.
The first Christian emperor, Constantine, had a church built on land that once belonged to the Laterani family. That 4th century church was the precursor of the present Basilica. The Baptistery attached to the present Basilica is where emperor Constantine was baptized. This Basilica now serves as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. It is the Pope’s own church in his capacity as Bishop of Rome. For that reason, it has the title, “mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world,” and that includes our own parish church where we are gathered for prayer. While our church is much smaller than the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, both are equally monuments to people’s faith. In the first reading Paul tells the Christians in Corinth, “you are God’s building you are God’s temple.” More fundamental than the building we call church are the people we call church. The building we call church is there to help us to express our identity as a people of faith called to worship God through Christ in the Spirit. If our worship is to be authentic, the shape of our worship must become the shape of our lives. Our whole lives are to be a movement towards God, through Christ and in the Spirit. This is what it means to be church, to be the temple of God in the world. This is the heart of our baptismal calling.
BIDDING PRAYERS:
We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Gathered in union with the whole Church, let us pray for our needs and those of all God’s people.
- That God may bless our Holy Father and keep all bishops and all the faithful in union with him and with his teaching. Lord, hear us… “Lord graciously hear us.”
- For all believers who are without a Church building, that they may soon have the blessing of a beautiful and secure place in which to worship. Lord, hear us… “Lord graciously hear us.”
- For all who lack the freedom of religion, that their governments may recognize their right to worship God in public and in peace. Lord, hear us… “Lord graciously hear us.”
- We pray for the poor, those who suffer discrimination, and all the marginalized and forgotten. Lord, hear us… “Lord graciously hear us.”
Father, as you answer our prayers, make us ever grateful for the gift of the Church. May we be living stones, built into unity with Christ and with one another. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
