DEDICATION OF THE BASILICA OF ST. JOHN LATERAN

Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

Jn 2:13-22

EXPLANATION OF THE GOSPEL

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

According to the gospel of John, this was the first of the three Passovers of Jesus in Jerusalem. This is consistent with tradition which states that the ministry of Jesus spanned three years.

He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there.

These animals were bought by the pilgrims and offered as sacrifice in the temple.

The presence of money changers is not surprising. First of all, the Passover attracted Jewish pilgrims from the diaspora, that is, Jews living outside the Holy Land. Secondly, the money that they brought (even those living in the Holy Land) had the image of the emperor. The Jewish religion forbade the use of images. For this reason these coins can not be used in the Temple. The money changers were there to change these coins with the “Temple” coins.

Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of the Father.

His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, “Zeal for your house….” Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this.

Recall and remember is not just about memory. In John’s gospel, it has a special meaning. It is the process of becoming aware that in a particular event Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures.

In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, the cleansing of the Temple occurred at the end of Jesus’ ministry and was the immediate cause of his death. In John’s gospel, it took place at the beginning of his ministry. And it was in the context of Jesus talking about true worshipers. Also, it was the raising of Lazarus from the dead that was the immediate cause of his death in John’s gospel.

“Zeal for your house….” is a quote from Psalm 69. This psalm is called a Messianic psalm. In other words, John by using this psalm is saying that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

“What sign can you show us for doing this?”

John never uses the word ‘miracle’. Instead, he uses the word ‘sign’. In other words, the Jews were asking Jesus to work a miracle in order to show that he had the authority to act the way he did (cleansing of the Temple).

But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.

This illustrates a technique of John’s gospel. Jesus’ words would be misunderstood and this gives the gospel an opportunity to develop and explain further its message.

Other examples where this literary device is used are the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus (being born from above and not being born again) and that between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (Jesus giving the Holy Spirit and not flowing water).

And they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

This statement seems to put the word Scriptures and the word of Jesus on the same level. This is, of course, correct because Jesus is the Word of God. He is God.

THE BASILICA

From Wikipedia

The Basilica of St John Lateran — in Italian, the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano — is the CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ROME AND THE OFFICIAL ECCLESIASTICAL SEAT OF THE BISHOP OF ROME, WHO IS THE POPE. Officially named Archibasilica Sanctissimi Salvatoris ("Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour"), it is the oldest and ranks first (being the cathedral of Rome) among the four major basilicas of Rome, and holds the title of ecumenical mother church (mother church of the whole inhabited world) among Roman Catholics. The current archpriest of St. John Lateran is Camillo Cardinal Ruini, Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome.

An inscription on the façade, Christo Salvatore, dedicates the Lateran as Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, for the cathedrals of all patriarchs are dedicated to Christ himself. As the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, containing the papal throne (Cathedra Romana), it ranks above all other churches in the Roman Catholic Church, even above St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

THE FEAST

From Mobile Gabriel

Every parish celebrates the anniversary of the ceremony in which its parish church was consecrated to God and dedicated to the worship of God. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.

Even though people around the globe associate the pope with the more famous Basilica of St. Peter, his cathedral church as Bishop of Rome is the Basilica of St. John.

This celebration started out as a purely local event but eventually November 9th came to be a celebration of the unity of the church expressed in the pope's ministry.

The church is not buildings; it is people united by the Spirit of God. Paul tells us this in the second reading. Both the Gospel and the first reading attempt to enlarge our vision of the church. Today it is appropriate to reconsider what the church really is and where God is calling each of us to fit into it. Am I listening to this call? Am I striving to avoid hearing it?