20261109 A LIFE-GIVING CHURCH
09 November 2026, Monday, Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
First reading |
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12 |
Wherever the water flows, it will bring life and health
The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9 |
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
Gospel Acclamation | 2Ch7:16 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord,
for my name to be there forever.
Alleluia!
Gospel | John 2:13-22 |
Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up
Just before the Jewish Passover Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting at their counters there. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market.’ Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: Zeal for your house will devour me. The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?’ Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.
A LIFE-GIVING CHURCH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EZ 47:1-2,8-9,12; 1 COR 3:9-11,16-17; JN 2:13-22]
In the first reading, the Prophet Ezekiel envisaged the Temple as life-giving to all. We read how a stream under the Temple flowed out, and wherever the water flowed–even to the Arabah, where the Dead Sea is located and nothing could survive–the water became wholesome. “Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.”
Indeed, it is God’s hope that through the Temple, Israel would draw all nations–not just the Israelites–to worship Him. As Isaiah prophesied, “Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.'” (Isa 2:3) Truly, Israel is called to be the light of the nations: “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isa 42:6-7)
This is our role as the Church as well. We are called to be a sign and instrument of communion with God and unity among all peoples. The primary calling of the Church is to lead all people into union with God, which is the very foundation of human communion. This is why the Church is recognised as the Universal Sacrament of salvation and the sacrament of unity for the human race–she is the visible plan of God’s love for humanity. As the Church, therefore, we are called to be life-giving like the Temple of Jerusalem. Wherever the Church exists, we are called to radiate the light and love of Christ and to be the salt of the earth. Through the celebration of the seven sacraments, Catholics are nurtured with the divine life of God. Through worship, they become more closely united with the Lord, which in turn unites them with His Body, the Church, enabling them to be a potent force and witness in the world.
Yet, there is always the temptation toward narrow-mindedness. This was the case with the religious leaders during the time of our Lord.They were exclusive in their manner of worship, drawing a sharp divide between Jews and Gentiles. Only the Jews were considered the Chosen People of God, while Gentiles–even proselytes–were treated as second-class members. Considered impure, they were barred from the inner courts and restricted to worshipping in the Court of the Gentiles, the outermost courtyard. Worse still, worship was reduced to mere ritualistic sacrifice, devoid of meaning and sincerity. The priestly aristocracy controlling the Temple profiteered from the offerings, charging exorbitant fees for the animals required for sacrifice.
Such injustices–especially the exclusion and exploitation of the poor–prompted Jesus to react against the corruption of the Temple officials. Making a whip out of cords, He drove the merchants and money-changers out of the Temple, “cattle and sheep as well, scattered the money-changers’ coins, knocked their tables over and said to the pigeon-sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop turning my Father’s house into a market’.” The Temple was no longer life-giving as it was meant to be. It was no longer a sanctuary where people could seek forgiveness, be reconciled with God, worship in peace, and find God’s love. Instead, it was a mockery of what Moses had intended for sacrificial worship–no longer a true sacrifice of expiation and reconciliation.
Jesus, as the New Temple of God, came to restore the true dignity of the Temple. This explains why this incident took place near the feast of Passover. It was at Passover that Jesus would offer Himself–His body and blood–for the salvation of the world, becoming the ultimate sacrifice of reconciliation between humanity and God. When the authorities demanded to know by what authority He acted, “Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up’. The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this sanctuary: are you going to raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead.” After His death, He rose again, and in the Spirit, came to dwell within us, transforming us into the Temple of God. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Cor 3:16-17)
With Jesus, the Old Temple has been replaced by the New Temple of God: His Body, the Church. As this New Temple, we are called to be life-giving in the Spirit. The Church today must continue the work of bringing life to all through the proclamation of the Good News in both word and deed. How can we achieve this? In the same letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul instructs: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor 3:10-11)
The foundation for building the Temple of God must be Jesus Christ. Without strong faith in our Lord and values rooted in the Gospel, we cannot build the Church of Christ. As St. Paul reminds us, whether we are establishing a new community–as he did–or strengthening an existing one, we must remain grounded in Christ and His Gospel. As the Lord told Peter following his confession of faith: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18) Similarly, in St. John’s Gospel, Peter declares to our Lord: “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:68-69)
Of course, we also need the power of the Holy Spirit. St. John notes that “when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words he had said.” What Jesus said made sense only after His glorification, when the Holy Spirit was given to interpret His actions and words in light of the Scriptures. Jesus became the ultimate key to understanding the Old Testament. Significantly, the scriptural prophecies regarding the physical Temple were fulfilled historically as well: the Temple was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans and was never rebuilt. Jesus truly is the New Temple of God.
Indeed, faith in Jesus as the Messiah–the river of living water who bestows the Holy Spirit–brings life and blessing to all who believe in Him. In turn, these blessings flow through believers to others. All renewal in the Church depends on God’s grace and blessings; it is not within human control, but is the power of God working in us. He alone brings restoration and renewal to our lives. Let us turn to Jesus in the Holy Spirit, asking Him to renew our faith. As the prophet Zechariah encouraged the returning Israelites when they grew discouraged in rebuilding the ruined Temple: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.” (Zech 4:6) The water flowing from the Temple symbolises the Holy Spirit active in the Church today. We can tell that our faith is grounded in Christ and the Holy Spirit when we are moved to step outside our churches and witness to His love in the world. A life-giving Church goes beyond mere maintenance or legalism; a Church alive in the Spirit is dynamic, empowering, and constantly drawing new souls to Christ.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
