SATURDAY, THIRTY FIRST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Feast of Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Rome)
Ez 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12, 16-17 or 1 Cor 3: 9-11
Ps 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9 Jn 2: 13-22
ZEALOUS ALWAYS
Today’s Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica allows us to remember the journey of the people and God’s constant and faithful care. St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome is considered the mother church of all the Catholic churches in the Western world; inscribed on the church facade for all to see are the Latin words “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput,” meaning, “The mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.” Even Jesus was zealous for the house of God – he loved it and was zealous of its honour and welfare. His driving out the money changers signifies the temple was a holy and sacred place for worship and prayer. Jesus throws out the money and shows his contempt. In overthrowing the tables, Jesus shows his displeasure. God’s temple must not be made a pigeon house. It is the house of God and when we are in the house of God, we should not be distracted by the noise of a market. When we are at the church, we should not fill our minds with cares about worldly business. When we are attending on religious exercises, Jesus expects us to be faithful as he was faithful as the Son over his Father’s house which was also his own house.
The Church, the parish that we belong to, is our own house and we are expected to be always faithful and zealous. As one the family members of Jesus, it is our house and we should not pollute it. We should be pained to see anyone polluting it just as Jesus was. We should have a great veneration for it just as Jesus had. We should also have a great veneration for our bodies as it is too a temple – the Triune God resides in our body. Like Jesus, we need to be always zealously affected to the house of GOd, his church. He loves it and is always jealous for its honour and welfare.We too as his faithful disciples need to be zealously affected for its honour and welfare. Let us not be disrespectful to the church as it is the house of God.
Response: The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place,
the dwelling of the Most High.
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