TAKE THESE THINGS AWAY…

Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12

DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA.

1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side.

8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh.9 And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17

9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it.
11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?17 If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.

John 2:13-22

13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for thy house will consume me.”18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
21 But he spoke of the temple of his body.22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.  

MEDITATION

THE PROPHET EZEKIEL describe the magnificence of the temple with it’s marvelous freshwater aqcuaducts that transport water from the mikvahs where  the temple worshippers purification  journey begins.After being washed clean the water passed the altar of Sacrifice where the blood of the slain lamb mingled with the water that makes its way into the “Arabah” also known as the Dead See, wherethrough the water moves to the Jordan river where God through the Spirit, purified and made holy the water in and through the baptism of Christ Jesus.Mt 3:15-17

St PAUL allude to the baptism of the people that is the means whereby the holy spirit entered man. Baptism is the foundational sacrament that transformed the baptised, making them members of the Church, the body of Christ! Through our baptism and by God’s grace, we have become temples wherein Christ dwells thus making us “fellow workers” of His earthly Church.

THE GOSPEL READING: John recounts Jesus’ disheartenedness and His seemingly ‘violent’ response to clear and purify the temple that was desecrated when it was turned into a house of trade! Jesus’ actions points to His mission and purpose to reorder and purify our soul that has become contaminated by our passions and our lust for material possessions, that oppose our baptismal sanctified state. 

We are invited to clean up our act, evict our passions and desires that negate and infect our moral conscience to the extent that we no longer serve as working members of the body of Christ! Christ through His violent death and ressurection seek to take away our disordered passions and end the wars that rage within us. He desire to rededicate us into holy sanctified temples as at the day of our baptism!

LET US PRAY:Psalms 46:2-3,5-6,8-92 Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early.6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has wrought desolations in the earth.9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire!

Author. Henry R SYLVESTER Note: The daily scripture readings are taken from the Roman Missal which the Catholic Church use in the daily Celebration of the Holy Eucharist throughout the world.Some weekly readings may differ because of the celebration of local feast days