Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Lectionary: 671
Lectionary: 671
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.”
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.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
R. (5) 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!
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!
Reading 21 COR 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.
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.
GospelJN 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.
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.
Meditation: "Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up"
What can
keep us from the presence of God? Jesus’ dramatic cleansing of the temple was
seen by his disciples as a prophetic sign of God’s action. The temple was
understood as the dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered
his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally
to Mount Sinai where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of
life embodied in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). God gave Moses
instruction for worship and for making the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting,
which was later replaced by the temple. The New Testament tells us that these
“serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary” – God’s Temple in heaven
(Hebrews 8:5). Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what
he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us of sin and make us
living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Do you want to be holy
as God is holy?
Jesus
referred to the temple as his Father’s house which was being made into “house
of trade” (John 2:16) or “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). That is why he used
physical force to expel the money-chargers. The prophecy of Malachi foretold
the coming of the Lord unexpectedly to his Temple to “purify the sons of Levi
and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the
Lord” (Malachi 3:1-4). Jesus' disciples recalled the words of Psalm 69: “Zeal
for your house will consume me.” This was understood as a Messianic prophecy.
Here the disciples saw more clearly Jesus as the Messiah who burned with zeal
for God's house. The Jewish authorities, however, wanted proof that Jesus had
divine authority to act as he did. They demanded a sign from God to prove Jesus
right, otherwise, they would treat him as an imposter and a usurper of their
authority. Jesus replied that the sign God would give would be Jesus' death on
the cross and resurrection from the tomb: "Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up." The Jews did not understand that the
temple Jesus referred to was his own body. The “tent of his body” had to be
destroyed to open the way to the presence of God for us. Through his death and
resurrection, Jesus not only reconciles us with God, but he fills us with his
Holy Spirit and makes us temples of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
God's word enlightens our minds and purifies our hearts that we may offer God
fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. Do you burn with
zeal for the Lord’s house?
"Lord
Jesus Christ, you open wide the door of your Father’s house and you bid us to
enter confidently that we may worship in spirit and truth. Help me to draw near
to your throne of mercy with gratitude and joy."
 The Indestructible Temple |
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Feast of the
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
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Father Steven
Reilly, LC
John 2: 13-22
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus
went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep,
and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of
cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle.
He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their
tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out
of here! Stop making my Father´s house a marketplace!" His disciples
remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume
me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing
this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been
under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three
days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was
raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and
they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are here with me,
and I hope in your boundless mercy and love. Thank you for watching over me
and keeping me in your friendship. Thank you for the precious gift of our
Mother, the Church.
Petition: Lord, increase my zeal!
1. The Indestructible Temple: Today we celebrate the dedication of St.
John Lateran Basilica, known as the “mother and head of all the churches.”
Going to Rome and visiting this wonderful church, now some seventeen
centuries old, one gets a sense of the durability of Catholicism. The
Catholic Church has been around for a long time, and it will be around for a
lot longer — until judgment day, to be exact. No matter how hard the world
has tried, it hasn’t been able to destroy the temple of the Church. This
should give us a deep confidence that the Lord is with us as we journey
through history.
2. Purification: Being indestructible doesn’t mean, however,
that the Catholic Church does not need constant purification. When our Lord
arrived to the temple in Jerusalem, he found many things that marred the
spirit of prayer and devotion that was to characterize that sacred building.
His vigorous reaction serves to underline the high vocation of holiness that
God had given to the Chosen People. We Catholics have inherited that call;
yet all too often, the ways of the world creep into our souls. Each one of us
needs to submit to the Lord’s purification. He will challenge us in our
conscience, and sometimes that will sting like the whip of cords. But if we
are sincere in our desires, we accept this with humility, aware that our
souls must be living temples of God’s presence.
3. Consuming Zeal: When the apostles contemplated our Lord’s
action in the temple, “zeal” was the word that summed it all up. Jesus is
zealous because he doesn’t accept the status quo of entrenched mediocrity.
The day he arrives it is no longer business as usual: His Father’s house WILL
be respected. Too often we let the barnacles of laziness and the accretions
of apathy weigh down and extinguish our zeal. Every day we must pray that the
Lord will once again “enkindle in our hearts the fire of his love.” Our zeal
in living the faith is part of the way God works to make this temple of his
Church indestructible. Don’t we want to cooperate with his love, so that the
“gates of hell will not prevail?”
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I love your Church. I thank you for
the priceless gift of my Catholic faith. Protect the Church from all her
enemies and help me to be an effective apostle filled with authentic zeal.
Resolution: I will offer myself to collaborate in a
parish ministry or other Catholic apostolate out of love for the Church.
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FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN
BASILICA IN ROME
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, JOHN 2:13-22
(Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Psalm 84; I Corinthians 3:9c-11,16-17)
KEY VERSE: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (v 20).
READING: The Jerusalem temple was the center of worship and sacrifice for the Jews, and the visible sign of God's presence among them. While celebrating the Passover feast, Jesus was angered over the way the temple was used as a marketplace. He attacked the abuse of God's dwelling place by driving out the animals sold for sacrifice, and overturning the tables used by the money changers for collecting the temple tax. Jesus came to supplant the rites and institutions of the old covenant with the new covenant of God's justice and love (Jer 31:31; Lk 22:20). Solomon's temple (the first temple) was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. Herod's temple (the second temple) was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. It was replaced by the body of the risen Christ, the Church. Paul told the Corinthians, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:11). He reminded Christians that they were God's temple since the Spirit of God dwelled in them (v 16).
REFLECTING: Do others recognize God's presence within me?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to have reverence for your Father's house.
November 9, Lateran Basilica Rome
The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome,
and therefore the Pope's cathedral. The foundation of the Lateran basilica goes
back to the time of Constantine, the Emperor of Rome. The palace of the
Laterani on the Coelian Hill belonged then to Constantine's wife Fausta. After
Constantine's conversion he gave it to the Pope as his private residence and
founded the church of the Lateran which became the mother of all the churches
of Rome and the world. It was dedicated to "Christ our Savior" by
Pope St. Sylvester on November 9, 324. In the twelfth century it was given as
its second title "St. John the Baptist" whose name was also that of
the ancient baptistery connected with the church; hence the present name of the
basilica, St. John Lateran. Twelve councils have assembled in the Basilica and
Lateran Palace, four of which were ecumenical, the first in 649, the last in
1512.
The waters of the river gladden the
city of God.
‘Take all this out of here!’When you drove the sellers from the Temple, Lord, you were teaching us the respect that is owing to God’s house. And the respect owing to every human being, for St Paul tells us that we are God’s temple. If only I could be convinced of this staggering truth - that you live in me, that I am your dwelling place. Then I would not fear anything or anyone. I would know that I was not alone, that you were with me, offering me your help and your strength. And what is true of myself is true of others. Lord, help me to see myself and others with your eyes. Help me to realise that in myself and in others I can always find you, speak with you and revere you.
November 9
Dedication of St. John Lateran
Dedication of St. John Lateran
Most Catholics think of St. Peter’s as the pope’s main church, but
they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the pope’s church, the cathedral of the
Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.
The first
basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated
land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its
successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran
remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from
Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in
ruins.
Pope
Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome’s most
imposing churches, the Lateran’s towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal
statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the
Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on
which tradition holds St. Peter himself celebrated Mass.
Comment:
Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, August 5; Sts. Peter and Paul, November 18), this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. In a sense, St. John Lateran is the parish church of all Catholics, because it is the pope's cathedral. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.
Unlike the commemorations of other Roman churches (St. Mary Major, August 5; Sts. Peter and Paul, November 18), this anniversary is a feast. The dedication of a church is a feast for all its parishioners. In a sense, St. John Lateran is the parish church of all Catholics, because it is the pope's cathedral. This church is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church.
Quote:
"What was done here, as these walls were rising, is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ. For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were, from mountains and forests, like stones and timber; but by catechizing, baptism and instruction they are, as it were, shaped, squared and planed by the hands of the workers and artisans. Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord until they are fitted together through love" (St. Augustine, Sermon 36).
"What was done here, as these walls were rising, is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ. For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were, from mountains and forests, like stones and timber; but by catechizing, baptism and instruction they are, as it were, shaped, squared and planed by the hands of the workers and artisans. Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord until they are fitted together through love" (St. Augustine, Sermon 36).
DEDICATION OF
THE BASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN
Lectio:
Saturday, November 9, 2013
John 2,13-22 - Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - John 2,13-22
When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there.
Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over and said to the dove sellers, 'Take all this out of here and stop using my Father's house as a market.'
Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house.
The Jews intervened and said, 'What sign can you show us that you should act like this?'
Jesus answered, 'Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'
The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?' But he was speaking of the Temple 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 what he had said.
3) Reflection
• Context. Our passage contains a clear and unmistakable teaching of Jesus in the Temple. Previously John the Baptist had given witness of Jesus saying that He was the Messiah (1, 29); the first disciples, on the indication of the Baptist, have recognized him as the Lamb of God, a quality of the Messiah: to inaugurate a new Passover and covenant, to bring about the definitive liberation of man (Jn 1, 35-51); in Cana, Jesus works a first sign to show his glory (Jn 2, 1-12): the glory becomes visible, it can be contemplated, therefore, it manifests itself. It is the glory of the Father present in the person of Jesus and which manifests itself at the beginning of his activity, in this way, anticipating his “hour” (17, 1). In what way is his glory manifested? God restores gratuitously with man a new relationship; he unites him intimately to him giving him the capacity to love like He loves, through the Spirit who purifies the heart of man and makes him son of God. But, it is necessary to recognize the immutable love of God, manifested in Jesus, responding with faith, with a personal adherence.
• Jesus and the Temple. Now Jesus is in Jerusalem, in the Temple fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi (Ml 3, 1-3), he proclaims himself Messiah. Such a presence of Jesus is above all his teaching that produces tension. Now, the reader understands how the great disputes with the Jews always take place in the Temple; in this place Jesus pronounces his substantial denunciations; his task is to lead the people outside the Temple (2, 15; 10, 4). In last instance Jesus was condemned because he represented a danger for the Temple and for the people. Jesus goes to Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover of the Jews: it is clamorous to manifest himself in public and to reveal to all that he is the Messiah. During that feast Jerusalem is full of pilgrims who have come from all parts and therefore his actions would have had a great effect in the whole of Palestine. When he arrived in Jerusalem he immediately is seen in the Temple where there are a number of people selling cattle, sheep and doves and the money changers sitting there. The encounter in the Temple is not with persons who seek God but dealers of the sacred: the amount paid to be able to open a stand to be able to sell was given to the high priest. Jesus chooses this occasion (the Passover) this place (the Temple) to give a sign. He takes a whip, an instrument which was a symbol of the Messiah who punishes vices and evil practices, and he drives out everybody from the Temple, together with the cattle and sheep. Worthy to be noted is his act against those selling the doves (v. 15). The dove was an animal used for the propitiatory holocausts (Lv 9, 14-17), in the sacrifices of expiation and of purification (Lv 12, 8; 15, 14.29), especially if those who offered it were poor (Lv 5, 7; 14, 22. 30ff). The sellers, those who sold the doves, that is to say, sold reconciliation with God for money.
• The house of my Father. The expression wants to indicate that Jesus in his actions behaves as a Son. He represents the Father in the world. They have transformed the worship of God into a market, a place for trading. The Temple is no longer the place of encounter with God, but a market where the presence of money is in force. Worship has become the pretext to gain more. Jesus attacks the central institution of Israel, the temple: the symbol of the people and of the election. He denounces that the Temple has been deprived of its historical function: to be the sign of the dwelling of God in the midst of his people. The first reaction to Jesus’ action comes from the disciples who associate this to Psalm 69, 10: “I am eaten up with zeal for your house”. The second reaction comes from the high priests who respond in the name of those selling in the Temple: “What sign can you show us that you should act like this?” (v.18). They have asked him for a sign; he gives them that of his death: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). Jesus is the Temple that assures of the presence of God in the world, the presence of his love; the death on the cross will make of him the only and definite Temple of God. The Temple constructed by the hands of man has fallen into decay; Jesus will be the one to substitute it, because He is now the presence of God in the world; the Father is present in Him.
God of power and mercy,
protect us from all harm.
Give us freedom of spirit
and health in mind and body
to do your work on earth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - John 2,13-22
When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there.
Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over and said to the dove sellers, 'Take all this out of here and stop using my Father's house as a market.'
Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house.
The Jews intervened and said, 'What sign can you show us that you should act like this?'
Jesus answered, 'Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'
The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?' But he was speaking of the Temple 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 what he had said.
3) Reflection
• Context. Our passage contains a clear and unmistakable teaching of Jesus in the Temple. Previously John the Baptist had given witness of Jesus saying that He was the Messiah (1, 29); the first disciples, on the indication of the Baptist, have recognized him as the Lamb of God, a quality of the Messiah: to inaugurate a new Passover and covenant, to bring about the definitive liberation of man (Jn 1, 35-51); in Cana, Jesus works a first sign to show his glory (Jn 2, 1-12): the glory becomes visible, it can be contemplated, therefore, it manifests itself. It is the glory of the Father present in the person of Jesus and which manifests itself at the beginning of his activity, in this way, anticipating his “hour” (17, 1). In what way is his glory manifested? God restores gratuitously with man a new relationship; he unites him intimately to him giving him the capacity to love like He loves, through the Spirit who purifies the heart of man and makes him son of God. But, it is necessary to recognize the immutable love of God, manifested in Jesus, responding with faith, with a personal adherence.
• Jesus and the Temple. Now Jesus is in Jerusalem, in the Temple fulfilling the prophecy of Malachi (Ml 3, 1-3), he proclaims himself Messiah. Such a presence of Jesus is above all his teaching that produces tension. Now, the reader understands how the great disputes with the Jews always take place in the Temple; in this place Jesus pronounces his substantial denunciations; his task is to lead the people outside the Temple (2, 15; 10, 4). In last instance Jesus was condemned because he represented a danger for the Temple and for the people. Jesus goes to Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover of the Jews: it is clamorous to manifest himself in public and to reveal to all that he is the Messiah. During that feast Jerusalem is full of pilgrims who have come from all parts and therefore his actions would have had a great effect in the whole of Palestine. When he arrived in Jerusalem he immediately is seen in the Temple where there are a number of people selling cattle, sheep and doves and the money changers sitting there. The encounter in the Temple is not with persons who seek God but dealers of the sacred: the amount paid to be able to open a stand to be able to sell was given to the high priest. Jesus chooses this occasion (the Passover) this place (the Temple) to give a sign. He takes a whip, an instrument which was a symbol of the Messiah who punishes vices and evil practices, and he drives out everybody from the Temple, together with the cattle and sheep. Worthy to be noted is his act against those selling the doves (v. 15). The dove was an animal used for the propitiatory holocausts (Lv 9, 14-17), in the sacrifices of expiation and of purification (Lv 12, 8; 15, 14.29), especially if those who offered it were poor (Lv 5, 7; 14, 22. 30ff). The sellers, those who sold the doves, that is to say, sold reconciliation with God for money.
• The house of my Father. The expression wants to indicate that Jesus in his actions behaves as a Son. He represents the Father in the world. They have transformed the worship of God into a market, a place for trading. The Temple is no longer the place of encounter with God, but a market where the presence of money is in force. Worship has become the pretext to gain more. Jesus attacks the central institution of Israel, the temple: the symbol of the people and of the election. He denounces that the Temple has been deprived of its historical function: to be the sign of the dwelling of God in the midst of his people. The first reaction to Jesus’ action comes from the disciples who associate this to Psalm 69, 10: “I am eaten up with zeal for your house”. The second reaction comes from the high priests who respond in the name of those selling in the Temple: “What sign can you show us that you should act like this?” (v.18). They have asked him for a sign; he gives them that of his death: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). Jesus is the Temple that assures of the presence of God in the world, the presence of his love; the death on the cross will make of him the only and definite Temple of God. The Temple constructed by the hands of man has fallen into decay; Jesus will be the one to substitute it, because He is now the presence of God in the world; the Father is present in Him.
4) Personal questions
• Have you understood that the sign of love of God for you is no longer the temple but a Person: Jesus crucified?
• Do you not know that this sign is turned to you personally to bring about your definitive liberation?
• Have you understood that the sign of love of God for you is no longer the temple but a Person: Jesus crucified?
• Do you not know that this sign is turned to you personally to bring about your definitive liberation?
5) Concluding Prayer
God is both refuge and strength for us,
a help always ready in trouble;
so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,
though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea. (Ps 46,1-2)
God is both refuge and strength for us,
a help always ready in trouble;
so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,
though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea. (Ps 46,1-2)
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