Today, November 9
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Today is the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I in 324. Originally known as the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, this church is called St John Lateran because it was built on property owned by the Laterani family and given to the Church. It was served by monks from the monastery of St John the Baptist and St John the Divine.
This church is the cathedra (chair) of the bishop of Rome. A Latin inscription reads "omnium ecclesiarum Urbis et Orbis mater et caput" (The Mother and Head of All Churches of the City and of the World). Accordingly, the whole Church celebrates its dedication.©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
Readings of the Day
Book of Ezekiel 47,1-2.8-9.12.
The angel brought me, Ezekiel, back to the entrance of the temple of the LORD, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, "This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine."
Psalms 46(45),2-3.5-6.8-9.
God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Come! behold the deeds of the LORD, the astounding things he has wrought on earth.
First Letter to the Corinthians 3,9c-11.16-17.
Brothers and sisters; you are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 2,13-22.
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, "Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace." His disciples recalled the words of scripture, "Zeal for your house will consume me." At this the Jews answered and said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking about the temple of his body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Daily Reflection
The dedication we are celebrating today concerns, in reality, three houses. The first is the material sanctuary... Certainly, we are to pray everywhere and there is nowhere where one cannot pray. Nevertheless it is very fitting to have consecrated a particular place to God where all of us, we christians who make up this community, can meet, praise and pray to God together and thus more readily obtain what we ask for as a result of this common prayer, as it is written: «If two or three of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father» (Mt 18:19)... The second house of God is the people, the holy community who find their unity in this church, that is to say you who are guided, taught and fed by the one shepherd or bishop. It is God's spiritual dwelling of which our church, this material house of God, is the sign. Christ built this spiritual temple for himself... It is a dwelling formed of God's elect, past, present and to come, gathered through their unity of faith and love in this one church, daughter of the universal Church and, in addition, one thing with the universal Church. When it is considered separately from the other, particular churches, then it is only one unit of the Church, as are all the other churches. Yet, taken altogether, these churches make up the one, universal Church, mother of all the churches... When we celebrate the dedication of our church, we are doing nothing else than reminding ourselves, in the midst of our thanksgiving, hymns and praise, in the goodness God has shown in calling this small group of people to know him... The third house of God is each holy soul dedicated to God, consecrated to him by baptism, who has become the temple of the Holy Spirit and the God's dwelling place... When you celebrate the dedication of this third house, you are simply recalling the favor you received from God when he chose you so that he might come to live in you by his grace.