20211109 A LIFE-GIVING CHURCH
09 November, 2021, Tuesday, 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.
When a Feast of the Lord falls on a weekday, there is no reading after the Psalm and before the Gospel.
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 to be 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, where nothing could live, 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. 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 42:6f)
This is our role as Church as well. We are called to be a sign and instrument of communion with God and of unity among all peoples. The primary calling of the Church is to lead all people into union with God for it is the basis of man’s communion with each other. This is why the Church is seen as the Universal Sacrament of salvation and the sacrament of the unity of the human race, for she is the visible plan of God’s love for humanity. As Church therefore, we are called to be life-giving like the Temple of Jerusalem. Wherever the Church is, we are called to radiate the light and love of Christ, to be the salt of the earth. Through the celebration of the seven sacraments, it is our hope that our Catholics will be nurtured with the life of God. Through worship, they will be more united with the Lord so that they could be united with His body, the Church; and then be a potent force and witness to the world.
Yet, there is always the temptation to narrow-mindedness. This was the case of the religious leaders during the time of our Lord. They were exclusive in their manner of worship. The Jews and the Gentiles were distinguished. Only the Jews were considered as the Chosen People of God and the Gentiles, even if they were proselytes, remained second class in membership. They were not able to enter the inner courts and had to worship only at the Court of the Gentiles, which was the outermost courtyard, the only area where non-Jews were allowed. This was because they were considered impure. But more than that, worship was reduced to a mere ritualistic sacrifice devoid of meaning and sincerity. The Priestly aristocracy who controlled the Temple was profiteering from the offerings because they charged exorbitant tax for those animals purchased at the temple.
Such injustices, especially depriving the poor from worship, caused Jesus to react against the corruption of the Temple officials. Making a whip out of some cord, he drove the merchants and money-changers 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’.” The temple was no longer life-giving as it should be. It was no longer the place where people could seek forgiveness and be reconciled with God, a place where they could worship in peace and find God’s love. Instead, it was a mockery of what Moses had intended for the sacrificial worship at the Temple. It was no longer a real sacrifice of expiation for sins and reconciliation with God.
Jesus, as the New Temple of God, came to restore the true dignity of the Temple of God. This explains why this incident took place near the feast of the Passover. It would be at the Passover that Jesus offered Himself, His body and blood for the salvation of the world. He would be the sacrifice of reconciliation for humanity with God. When the Jews demanded on what authority He carried out what He did, “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 with us, making us into the Temple of God. St Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, “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 3:16f)
With Jesus, the Old Temple has been replaced by the New Temple of God, which is His body, the Church. As the New Temple of God, we are called to be life-giving in the Spirit. As Church today, we must continue the work of bringing life to all by the proclamation of the Good News in words and deeds. How can we do this? In the same letter to the Corinthians, St Paul wrote, “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 3:10f)
The foundation for building the Temple of God must be Jesus Christ. In other words, without a strong faith in our Lord and without founding our values in the gospel, we will not be able to build the Church of Christ. As St Paul reminds us, regardless whether we are establishing a new community as he did, or whether we are strengthening the community, that is building over it, we need to be grounded in the gospel and in Christ. As the Lord told Peter after 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) In St John’s gospel, he was recorded as saying 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 6:68f)
Of course, we also need the power of the Holy Spirit. St John added a footnote 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 them to interpret His actions and words in the light of the fulfilment of scriptures, when they understood Jesus as fulfilling the Old Testament. Jesus became the key to understanding the Old Testament. It is significant that the words of scripture regarding the Temple was fulfilled historically as well because the Temple was eventually destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans and since then was never rebuilt. Jesus truly is the new Temple of God.
Indeed, faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the river of living water, the One who sends us the Holy Spirit, is what will bring life and blessing to those who believe Him. In turn, these blessings will flow out of them to others. All renewal in the Church is dependent on God’s grace and blessings. It is not within man’s control or power but by God who works in us. Only He can bring about restoration and renewal in our life. So let us turn to Jesus in the Holy Spirit, asking Him to renew our faith in Him. As the prophet Zechariah told the returning Israelites who were getting discouraged in rebuilding the ruined Temple, he said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.” (Zech 4:6) The water that runs through the Temple is the symbol of the Holy Spirit that remains active in His Church today. We know whether our faith is founded in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit when we find ourselves moving out of our churches to witness His love in the world. We know that the Church is life-giving when she goes beyond simply being a maintenance Church, or a legalistic Church. A Church alive in the Spirit is dynamic and empowering, adding new members to the Church.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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