Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:00 PST

Good News Reflection
November 9, 2009

Today's Readings:
Ezek 47:1-2, 8-9, 12
Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9
1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17
John 2:13-22
http://www.usccb.org/nab/110909.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_11_09.mp3

What does it mean to be God's holy temple?

Is your life in an upheaval? Today's reading from 1st Corinthians reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Lord. Today's first reading demonstrates that much good comes from God's temple.

As temples of the Lord, we should be experiencing the goodness of God flowing out from us and benefitting the world around us. Water in Ezekiel's text represents the Holy Spirit, the giver and nourisher of life. Look at what happens: undrinkable salt water becomes fresh and potable, producing life in abundance; trees that soak up this water bear good fruit – not annually, but monthly, without fail – giving food and medicine as a benefit many. Does this describe your life?

In the Gospel passage, Jesus speaks of the temple of his body. Notice that he does this immediately after driving out the merchants from the Temple Mount.

The sacrilege of using God's place for greedy purposes and personal gain had inspired his zealous anger. When our sins inspire us to go to a priest to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are being moved by Christ's own zeal, and through this sacrament he drives out what is unholy in us.

When the turn of events in our lives causes upset and upheaval because of poor decisions we've made or because we've lost sight of Jesus, very often this is Jesus overturning our tables to get our attention.

As temples, we need to work with Jesus to drive out everything that is unholy. Once our lives are filled with the Holy Spirit, God's goodness flows out from us and provides others with nourishment and healing.

Are you damming up the waters in any way? This is a very important question! As a temple of God, you hold the answers to the prayers of others. Jesus wants to minister to them through you. Consider what you could do to allow the waters of the Spirit to flow more freely, more fully from you.

When we don't take enough time to connect to Christ's Spirit through prayer and the sacraments of the Church, we run dry. We don't have enough strength to resist temptation. Our sins become salt water that kills any life that soaks it up.

Even though we try to do good, if we do not drink enough from the river of God's love, we are like beautiful flowers that adorn the sanctuary in church: although the flowers look beautiful for Sunday's Mass, they soon become ugly and must be thrown out, like the merchants on the Temple Mount.

Every time you attend Mass, let the altar flowers be a reminder of how quickly your energy will die unless you are nourished by God. And let the Eucharist remind you that by nourishing yourself with Jesus, you become a source of life to others. You are God's holy temple. Flow, Spirit, flow!

© 2009 by Terry A. Modica of Good News Ministries
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Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome