HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA [THURSDAY 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A]

HOMILY FOR THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA [THURSDAY 31ST WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A]

THEME OF THE HOMILY: Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up.

By: Fr Deotacious Chikontwe SMA

READINGS OF THE DAY
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
Cor 3:9-11, 16-17
Psalm 45:2-3,5-6,8-9
John 2:13-22

LITURGICAL COLOUR
WHITE

INTRODUCTION
Dear brothers and sisters, today the church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is the most important of all the churches in the whole entire world, being the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and hence is the seat of the Pope as its Bishop and leader of the whole Universal Church. This Lateran Basilica is the place where the Cathedra or the seat of the bishop, in this case, for the Pope, is placed at, and hence, why the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Pope.

FROM OUR FIRST READING
In our first reading today, we heard of the heavenly vision of Ezekiel, who saw a great vision of a Heavenly Temple and Sanctuary, in God’s Holy Presence, from which a great torrent and flood of water came forth, purifying and blessing all that came within its path. This water is a life-giving water and spring which came from the Lord Himself, and is a reminder for us of another part of the Gospel, when the Lord Jesus met a Samaritan woman who was collecting water from Jacob’s well, and told her that He is the Life-giving Spring, in Whom she will no longer thirst or seek for anything else.

FROM OUR SECOND READING
In the second reading, we heard of the famous passage in which the Apostle reminded the faithful there, and hence also all of us, that we are all God’s Temple, the Temple of the Holy Presence of God, and how the Church has been built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and we are all the parts of this Church, as parts of the one and same Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

FROM OUR GOSPEL READING
In our Gospel passage today, we hear the famous occasion of the Lord Jesus clearing the Temple from the many merchants, money changers and all others peddling their businesses in the courtyard of the Temple. Contextually, those merchants, money changers and others serve practical purpose providing the pilgrims and all those who came to the Temple to worship the Lord, the sacrificial offerings and animals to be offered and burnt to God. And at that time, since many Jewish people and believers lived in faraway places in the diaspora that spanned the entire Roman Empire and even in distant places like Persia and Ethiopia, they would have used different coins and currencies that might need to be exchanged first. Hence, this was why those merchants and money changers carried out their works and businesses there at the Temple.

CONCLUSION
Dear brethrens, as individual believers and as a community of faith we are called to build our lives on the person of Jesus, by keeping his words and by remaining open to his Spirit. That is our shared baptismal calling. In attending to that calling we give meaning to the building in which we gather. May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our respective journeys in life, in all the things we say and do, and in our every interactions all the time.
Happy Feast everyone.

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