Monday - November 09, 2020
The face is the mirror of the mind,
and eyes without speaking confess
the secrets of the heart.
~~St. Jerome
November 9 2020
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Lectionary: 671
Reading 1EZ 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
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
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
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.
Alleluia2 CHR 7:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord,
that my name may be there forever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelJN 2:13-22
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.
You are God's temple and Jesus Christ is your foundation. However, when we build our daily life upon this foundation without the bricks and tools that are from God, our construction -- our relationship with God and with others -- cracks, weakens, and even collapses.
You are God's temple, because the Holy Spirit dwells in you. In the Old Testament days, the temple was made of stone and mortar, and people visited it on pilgrimages. God's Spirit dwelled in the heart of this structure, a room called the holy of holies into which no human could enter except the high priest once a year on the Day of Atonement when a blood offering was made for the sins of the people.
Jesus became the new High Priest and sacrificed himself as the blood offering, transforming the Day of Atonement into Good Friday (he speaks of this in this Saturday's Gospel passage). He also replaced the Temple itself with his own body, becoming the Holy of Holies on earth, as the Holy Spirit dwelled perfectly and completely within his flesh.
Today, we who are now the Body of Christ on earth are also temples of the Holy Spirit. In the first reading, we see that much good comes from God's temple. Since we are temples of the Holy Spirit, goodness flows out into the world from God through us. Water in Ezekiel's vision represents the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life. Look at what happens when the Holy Spirit flows outward from our hearts: Instead of being like salty sea water that kills those who drink from the cup of our lives, the Spirit in us provides nourishment and life to others.
To be life-giving, we must first nourish our own hearts by soaking up the refreshing waters of the Holy Spirit. Desiring to be holy and wanting to do good is not enough. Holiness requires great effort -- more effort than we can muster by ourselves. This is why Jesus gave us his Holy Spirit. We need a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit that is anointed, active and alive, even supernatural like Jesus intended.
Come Holy Spirit, renew me.
Come Holy Spirit, fill me.
Come Holy Spirit, set me on fire with Your presence dwelling in me.
Come Holy Spirit, You have my permission to change me.
God Bless You.....
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