(Nov 9, 2025) Ez:47;1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3:9c-11,16-17; Jn 2:13-22

 

The Church commemorates the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Church of Rome, consecrated by Pope Sylvester I (AD 314–335) in the year 324. This Cathedral is the Pope’s episcopal seat as the Bishop of Rome, and is therefore honored with the title “Mother and Head of all the Churches of Rome and the world.”

 

The original Basilica and Baptistery were constructed by Emperor Constantine and were first known as the Basilica Constantinia. It was later renamed the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior. Today, it is called the Basilica of St. John Lateran because it was built on land donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because monks from the monasteries of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist served there.

The name St. John was first associated with the Baptistery, which was rebuilt after its destruction by the Visigoths (AD 410) by Pope St. Sixtus III (AD 432–440) and dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Later, Pope St. Hilary (AD 461–468) also dedicated it to St. John the Evangelist, in gratitude to the apostle for saving his life.

The Church sees the river flowing from Ezekiel’s new temple as a profound symbol of God’s life-giving grace, healing, and the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The water that turns everything it touches into life even transforming the Dead Sea into fresh water thereby representing the action of the Holy Spirit and the Church; bringing life to a world dead in sin. The trees bearing fruit and leaves for healing signify the abundance, renewal, and spiritual nourishment that flow from God’s grace through the new Temple, which is the Body of Christ.

The river flowing from the temple symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from Christ and the Church to give life to the world. This life-giving water is closely associated with the sacraments, especially Baptism, which cleanses and renews believers, granting them new life in Christ.

Ezekiel’s vision offers hope and assurance of divine restoration, showing that God can heal and renew even the most barren and broken situations. The imagery of fruitful trees and living water reminds the faithful that the Church and the sacraments are sources of continual grace, nourishment, and healing. Ultimately, this prophecy points to God’s plan to bring forth a renewed creation, a world where the lifelessness of sin is transformed into the overflowing abundance of His love and grace.

The second reading continues this same idea; as St. Paul reminds us that Christ’s gospel is the foundation to creating a Christian community on which Paul himself and other Apostles continue to build on. Besides this Christian community and the sacraments, you and I who are believers of Christ are also a living temple of God because by accepting and receiving the Grace of every sacrament, the Spirit of God continues to dwell in us. And we are encouraged by St. Paul not to destroy this living temple of God within us.  This destruction can be caused by false teachings, division, or immorality that damages the unity and holiness of the community and our bodies.

With a consuming zeal, Jesus sent away all money changers and those who were selling in the temple. This was not the first and wouldn’t have been the last they sold at the temple. However, the merchants and money changers were exploiting worshippers, turning God’s house into a marketplace and taking advantage of the poor with high prices.

Jesus as given us the best example on how to treat our temples; that, from time-to-time, we are expected to also cleanse, and drive out from our temples; greed, exploitation, corruption, immoralities and the mentality of ‘what will I gain’ whether as a Priest or a layperson especially in the house of God (the Church).

Shalom.