Reflection for Sunday November 9, Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome; John 2:13-22

Gospel: 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.

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Reflection:

What do we do when we go to church to pray or for Holy Mass? Do we always go there so that we could feel the solemn atmosphere and have a personal encounter with Jesus?

The church is always our place of worship and this is our safe refuge whenever we are burdened by life’s challenges. It is also here where we get to have a personal encounter with Jesus before, during and after the celebration of the Holy Mass.

Do we still observe the proper discipline when we are at church? Do we still dip our finger in the holy water font, make the sign of the cross and genuflect with our eyes fixed on the tabernacle before we officially enter the church and before we go outside of the church?   

In our gospel we read about Jesus who went to the temple, to His dismay he found the temple in disarray. For they made the temple of worship to a temple of commerce. The people who were supposed to worship was there to do business and other things not in anyway related with worship for God. Therefore to create order and to restore the sanctity of the temple Jesus angrily drove out all those who corrupted the temple.   

 

This is a good reminder for all of us when we are at church for Holy Mass or to pray. We go to church to encounter to worship and to give glory and honor to Jesus. The church is not a business office where wheeling and dealing occurs.

When we go to church to pray or for Holy Mass let us go there with our focus on Jesus. So that when we go out of the church we carry with us this renewed strength and hope that will energize us as we once again face our life’s challenges. - Marino J. Dasmarinas