O. T. 32: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Johns Lateran in Rome:(Nov 9, 2025) Ez:47;1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17; Jn 2:13-22 (L/25) For a short history, please visit (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/dedication-of-saint-john-lateran-basilica)

Historical note: Today the Church celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I (AD 314-335), in AD 324. This Church serves as the Episcopal seat of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and, hence, is called “the Mother and Head of all Churches of Rome and the world.” The Basilica and Baptistery were built originally by the Emperor Constantine and called Basilica Constantinia. Later, the Church was named the Arch-Basilica of the Most Holy Savior. However, it is now called St. Johns Lateran Basilica because it was built on property donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because the monks from the monastery of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine served in it. The name St. Johns comes, first, from the Baptistery, rebuilt (after its hard treatment by the Visigoths, AD 410), by Pope St. Sixtus II (AD 432-440), and dedicated by him to St. John the Baptist. Later, Pope St. Hilary (AD 461-468), dedicated it to St. John the Evangelist, in thanksgiving to that apostle for saving his life. [Richard P. McBrien, Lives
of the Popes (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), pp.
58-58, 71-72, 77-78.]. USCCB video reflections: http://www.usccb.org/bible/reflections/index.cfm

The First Reading (Ez:47;1-2, 8-9, 12) explained: Catholic commentary views the river flowing from Ezekiel’s new temple as a powerful symbol of God’s life-giving grace, healing, and the new covenant in Jesus Christ. The water, which becomes life-giving wherever it flows, transforms the Dead Sea into a freshwater source, symbolizing how the Holy Spirit and the Church bring life to a world in spiritual death. The trees with leaves for healing and fruit for food represent the life, abundance, and spiritual nourishment provided by God’s grace through the new Temple, which is the body of Christ.

Connection to the New Testament and the Church: Catholic theology understands the “temple” in this passage to be a prophetic foreshadowing of the new and everlasting temple, which is the body of Jesus Christ, raised in His resurrection. The river from the temple is understood to be the Holy Spirit, flowing out from Christ and the Church to bring life to the world.

The healing and life-giving water is often associated with the sacraments, particularly baptism, which is seen as a spiritual cleansing and rebirth from the waters of new life.

Significance for believers: The vision offers hope for a future of restoration, showing that God can heal and renew even the most desolate places and circumstances in people’s lives. The imagery of the fruit trees and life-giving water serves as a reminder that the Church and the sacraments provide spiritual food and healing for those who believe. The prophecy points toward God’s ultimate plan to bring new life and a transformed world, a kingdom where the barrenness of sin is replaced by the abundance of God’s love and grace.

The Second reading (1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17) explained: Catholic commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17 emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the sole foundation of the Church, built upon by apostles and other ministers who must be careful in their work. The passage also highlights that the Church community, and each individual believer, is the living temple of God, where the Holy Spirit dwells, and must be protected from destruction by false teaching or immoral conduct.

God’s building and Jesus as the foundation (vv. 9c-11)

Paul presents himself and other ministers as “co-workers in God’s service” who cultivate God’s “field” (the community) and build on His “building” (the Church).

As a “wise master builder,” Paul was the first to lay the foundation of the Church in Corinth through the preaching of the Gospel. The foundation is none other than Jesus Christ himself, and subsequent builders must be careful not to lay a different foundation, but to build on it with the proper materials. The quality of the building materials used (gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, straw) determines the worth of the work when it is tested by fire. The Church as God’s temple (vv. 16-17).  The core message is that the gathered community of believers, and by extension, each individual, is the temple where God’s Spirit dwells.

The Church is a holy place because it is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is a call to recognize the sacredness of the community and to live in a way that respects this divine presence. Paul issues a severe warning: anyone who destroys this temple, which is the Church, will be destroyed by God. This destruction can be caused by false teachings, division, or immorality that damages the unity and holiness of the community.

Gospel exegesis: The context: Today’s Gospel gives us the dramatic account of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem.  He drove out its merchants and moneychangers with moral indignation at the unjust commercialization of a House of Prayer and the exploitation of the poor pilgrims in the name of religion.  The merchants charged exorbitant prices for animals for sacrifices, and the moneychangers charged unjust commissions for the required exchange of pagan coins for Temple coins.  The Temple Jesus cleansed was the Temple in Jerusalem. Originally built by Solomon in 966 BC and rebuilt by Zerubbabel in 515 BC after the Babylonians had destroyed it, the Temple was renovated for the last time by King Herod the Great, a project he started in 20 BC.  The abuses which infuriated Jesus were 1) the conversion of a place of prayer to a noisy marketplace and 2) the unjust business practices of animal merchants and moneychangers, encouraged by the Temple authorities.  Hence, Jesus made a whip of cords and drove away the animals and the moneychangers, quoting Zechariah the prophet, “Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace”(Zechariah 14:21).

Introduction: Catholic commentary on John 2:13-22 emphasizes the “cleansing of the temple” as a symbolic act of zeal for God’s house and a prophetic statement about the coming of the new temple, which is Jesus’ own body. The passage is understood as a confrontation of commercialism corrupting worship, where Jesus defends the poor and the sacredness of God’s presence. It is a call for believers to be a living temple of God, cleansed of sin and commercialism, through the constant spiritual renewal of their hearts and souls. 

Zealous for God’s house: Jesus’ actions are driven by “zeal for your house,” as quoted from Psalm 69:9, showing his righteous anger against the corruption within the Temple. The merchants and money changers were exploiting worshippers, turning God’s house into a “marketplace” and taking advantage of the poor with high prices. This act is a powerful metaphor for today, calling for the removal of commercialism and distractions from worship and spiritual life.

 The new temple of Christ’s body: Jesus’ response to the Jews demanding a sign is the prophecy, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”.The Jews misunderstand, thinking of the physical Temple that took 46 years to build. However, Jesus is speaking of the “temple of his Body,” referring to his death and resurrection. This clarifies that the true dwelling place of God is not a physical building, but Jesus himself, and by extension, the Church, which is his living body on earth.

A call for personal and communal cleansing

The passage serves as a reminder that the Church and each individual believer are called to be a living temple, free from the impurities of commercialism, greed, and sin. Just as the physical temple needed cleansing, so too do our hearts and souls require constant spiritual work and renewal. The emphasis is on preparing our hearts to be receptive to God’s Word and presence, rather than being focused on external things or material gain. The passage serves as a reminder that the Church and each individual believer are called to be a living temple, free from the impurities of commercialism, greed, and sin. Just as the physical temple needed cleansing, so too do our hearts and souls require constant spiritual work and renewal. The emphasis is on preparing our hearts to be receptive to God’s Word and presence, rather than being focused on external things or material gain.

Life messages: 1) We need to avoid the business mentality of profit and loss in Divine worship.  Our relationship with God must be that of childen to parents — one of love, respect and desire for the common good, with no thought of gain or loss on either side.

2) We need to remember that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit.  Hence, we have no right to desecrate God’s temple by impurity, injustice, pride, hatred, or jealousy.

3) We need to love our parish Church and use it.  Our parish Church is the place where we come together as a community to praise and worship God, to thank Him for His blessings, to ask pardon and forgiveness for our sins, and to offer our lives and petitions on the altar.  Let us make our Church an even more holy place by adding our prayers and songs to community worship and by offering our time and talents and treasure in the various ministries of our parish. (Fr. Tony) L-25

4) We need to offer living worship to a living God. If our God is the God of the living, our worship of this living God also has to be alive. That means our participation in prayers and songs during the Holy Mass should be active and our behavior in Church reverent, as we offer our lives and all our activities to our living God on the altar with repentant and grateful hearts.

 “Scriptural Homilies” Cycle C (No. 58) by Fr. Tony: akadavil@gmail.com

Visit my website by clicking on https://frtonyshomilies.com/ for missed or previous Cycle C homilies, 141 Year of Faith “Adult Faith Formation Lessons” (useful for RCIA classes too) & 197 “Question of the Week.” Contact me only at akadavil@gmail.com. Visit https://www.catholicsermons.com/homilies/sunday_homilies  of Fr. Nick’s collection of homilies or Resources in the CBCI website:  https://www.cbci.in.  (Special thanks to Vatican Radio website http://www.vaticannews.va/en/church.html -which completed uploading my Cycle A, B and C homilies in May 2020)  (Fr. Anthony Kadavil, C/o Fr. Joseph M. C., St. Agatha Church, !001 Hand Avenue, Bay minette, Al 36507 )