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.”
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!
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.
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.
Today we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, called «mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world». The tradition goes back to the 12th century. The original building is much older. It was built and given to the Pope by the Emperor Constantine in gratitude for his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, thus showing his adherence to the primacy of Peter.
Today’s readings speak of the Temple. In Ezekiel’s vision, it is an enclosure from which streams of living water flow, a prefiguration of the Church. In 1 Corinthians, the temple is made of living stones: the risen body of Christ united to the Church, his Mystical Body. And the text of John’s Gospel presents Jesus’ indignation at the degradation of a space that he had learned to venerate as sacred from childhood.
Called to become spiritual temples, we are the living stones with which the Lord wants to build his house. But we are also material beings, and it seems that God does not disdain to build temples, much less to remain hidden and visible at the same time, in the tabernacle. They are places where «living stones» gather to worship, to praise, to know God better and to ask for forgiveness and mercy. The preface to this celebration says it beautifully: «You generously deign to dwell in every house consecrated to prayer […] to make of us […] a temple of the Holy Spirit».
We certainly do not gather for a «social event» and often show an astonishing lack of education. When outsiders see how we behave in our churches, it is difficult for them to take us seriously. Would we behave in the same way at a Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim holy site as we do at our baptisms, weddings and funerals? Common sense says no.
Today’s gospel story tells us of another temple, which is the very body of Christ. When the Jews, the religious authorities of Jerusalem, ask for explanations, Jesus announces his death and resurrection. Neither those who ask for explanations nor the disciples themselves know what he is talking about. They will understand at the resurrection only if they believe the Scriptures and what the Master said. Our faith in the Risen One makes us living stones of his Church.
Virginia FernandezKnow that this place is holy
because tFEhe Lord is here among us.
Know that we ourselves are called to be holy
for we are God’s temple.
May the Lord Jesus always stay with you. R/ And also with you.
We are glad that we can come to this church of brick and mortar and meet the Lord here in prayer. But we ourselves are living stones in the church of Christ our Lord, whose body we are. The Book of Revelation says: “Here God lives among his people. He lives among them and he will be their God, God-with-them.” This is said about us, God’s people! We are that temple in whom God lives, both as members of Jesus’ body and as a living Christian community. Through our Lord Jesus let us give thanks to God.
Have we really been living stones
that build up the body and temple of God?
Let us examine ourselves before the Lord.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you are the foundation
on which your Church is built:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you have made us your body
in which you live and move:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you chose us
to be the living stones of your house
and your very temple:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, through your forgiving mercy
make us worthy members of your body.
Be alive in us, your people,
and lead us to everlasting life. R/Amen,
Let us pray that we may truly be
the Church of Jesus Christ
God our Father,
you have called us through your Son
to be a community of faith, love, and service
built on the only firm foundation,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fill us with his Spirit,
that we may be your Church in word and deed,
making no demands, seeking no privileges,
not trying to dominate and control.
Help us to bring joy to all,
to love without excluding anyone
and to serve without demanding gratitude.
May we thus be the living house filled with the presence of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Let us pray to Jesus our Lord that his Christian community may be more aware that they are the people and temple of God, and let us also pray for the needs of all people and of all the world. Let us say: R/ Lord, build community with us.
Lord Jesus, you wanted to live among people. Make your Church more and more the space where people can meet in your name, for you are our Lord for ever. R/Amen.
Lord our God, we bring before you
these gifts of bread and wine
to remember that Jesus Christ is among us.
May he be to all of us our way, our truth, our life.
And may he become alive among us
through his Holy Spirit,
not only in these signs and this place
but in the whole wide world,
in a new, living Church,
in a new, authentic Christianity,
where he is our Lord for ever and ever. R/Amen.
Together with Christ who is the foundation stone on which we are built as his body, we offer to our Father the worship of this Eucharist and of our lives.
In this house of prayer
let us pray to our Father in heaven
the prayer of trust of his Son Jesus: R/ Our Father...
Introduction to the Rites of Peace and the Breaking of Bread
In the Christian community and in life
we are on the way with one another,
we seek peace and long for happiness.
Here in this house of prayer
the Lord Jesus breaks the bread of life for us.
Let us also break bread for one another
and pray for the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The peace of the Lord he with you always. R/ And also with you.
This is the body of Jesus the Lord.
He gives himself to us
that we may become more authentically
his body of the Church. R/ Lord, 1 am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have filled this house and us
with the presence of your Son;
he has spoken his Word to us,
he has shared himself with us
as our food on the road of life.
May we now be your sign to the world
that your Son is alive among us.
May our search and concern for justice,
for human dignity, for love, integrity, and unity
give praise to you and proclaim to all
that we are your people
and that Jesus Christ is our Lord,
now and for ever. R/ Amen.
It is not so much the building that counts
to honor and worship God
but Christ whom we meet here
and whose body we are.
And in us, in that body of Christ,
people should recognize the Lord
and feel his presence.
May this really become true in us,
with the blessing of Almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in peace and be the sign
that Christ is alive in the world of today. R/ Thanks be to God.
