Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matt 16:18
What is Church for us? Is it a beautiful, majestic building dedicated to the Lord our God in which we honour, praise and worship Him? The holy of holies in which Jesus resides in the tabernacle? One in which the Holy sacrifice unites us fully with our Lord through Holy Communion? One in which living waters flow out into the world? Or are we the children of God our Heavenly Father, Church? Holy temples of the Holy Spirit in which God dwells? Holy tabernacles of Jesus going forth so that whole world can encounter and experience His great love and mercy?
It is not one or the other but the sum of all, built upon our rock, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ! We are one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Amen
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.’
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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