First reading Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
Wherever the water flows, it will bring life and health
The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’
Responsorial Psalm 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
Second reading 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17
The temple of God is sacred, and you are that temple
You are God’s building. By the grace God gave me, I succeeded as an architect and laid the foundations, on which someone else is doing the building. Everyone doing the building must work carefully. For the foundation, nobody can lay any other than the one which has already been laid, that is Jesus Christ.
Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple and that the Spirit of God was living among you? If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him, because the temple of God is sacred; and you are that temple.
Gospel John 2:13-22
Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
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God’s Dwelling Place
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, an important occasion that replaces a Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Lateran Basilica is the Pope’s official cathedral, serving as the mother church of all churches and a symbol of unity for Christians around the world.
In the second reading, St Paul reminds the Corinthians that we are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells within us and among us. Just as we are, God has made His home within us. This invites us to recognise that our lives are sacred spaces where God resides. In the Gospel, Jesus drives the money changers and merchants out of the Temple in Jerusalem, declaring, “Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace.” He recognised the intentions of these individuals, who were in God’s house for financial gain. By driving them out, Jesus reminded people to centre their worship and lives around God. Today, let us allow Jesus to challenge us to remove the distractions that take God’s rightful place in our lives. May we truly love God with all our heart, mind, and strength.
Reflective Questions:
Am I aware that I am the dwelling place of God today? What does this reality mean to me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
