Reading 1
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
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.”
Reading II
1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
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.
Gospel
Jn 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.
Meditation: 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17
The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
According to the Latin inscription on its façade, the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome is “the mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.” Because it is the cathedral of the bishop of Rome, the pope, it has come to be seen as a symbol of unity: our unity as members of the body of Christ, the church.
But our unity in Christ is more than just a grand idea carved in a cathedral. It is meant to be a living reality. Looking at the church, we can see how much we still need to work toward this unity. People are divided over liturgical issues such as what kind of music to use at Mass. They are allowing their political disagreements to color the way they view each other and to weaken their sense of brotherhood with each other. They are divided over whether or not they like their local pastor, and these divisions make it hard for people to celebrate Mass together as one body.
We may have different approaches to the way we live out our faith, but that doesn’t mean that we have to dislike each other or treat each other as the enemy. In fact, such thinking goes against the truth that in Christ, there is no room for division. There is only the call to love. We should always try our best to look upon everyone in our church community with respect, honoring them as chosen and beloved children of God.
Practically, what can we do to help bring about greater unity? We can start with our speech. We can avoid talking about other people behind their backs, whether we have a major disagreement with them or are just annoyed with them. We should strive to cast each other in the best possible light, trusting that God will help us resolve our differences in a way that gives him glory and builds his kingdom.
Jesus told us that our love for one another will be the greatest way we can witness to his kingdom (John 13:34-35). May we all strive to conform ourselves to the heart of Christ—a heart of love—so that this fragmented world can be healed!
“Jesus, you want your people to become one. Help me to be aware of all the opportunities I will have today to work for unity.”
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