HOMILY FOR THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA (THURSDAY OF THE THIRTY-FIRST WEEK IN THE ORDINARY TIME YEAR A) BY REV FR EKESHIRI JUDE EMEKA CSSP.
THEME : KEEPING GOD’S TEMPLE PURE AND HOLY (Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17, John 2:13-22).
THE TEMPLE; A DWELLING PLACE OF GOD:
Dear friends, today, the Church celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome by Pope Sylvester I (AD 314-335). This Church serves as the Episcopal seat of the Bishop of Rome and as such is called the Mother of all Churches.
The temple officially, is the dwelling place of God. It is a place where the presence of God is felt in daily worship by the Jews and as such must be kept sacred because God Himself is Holy. Therefore wherever God dwell, due reverence and adoration is offered; for it is said, “keep thou Holy for I am Holy.” The Jews had great reverence for the temple, such that it is not everyone who can enter in without being cleanse first.
The first reading tells us that, the river of life flows from the temple and wherever the river flowing from the temple reaches, life and other good things blossoms because God is fully present.
JESUS CLEANSE THE TEMPLE:
The gospel of today offers us a dramatic encounter between Jesus and the Jews, where He drove out commercial traders and money changers for turning the temple into a market place. In the gospel of today, Jesus portrays His authority in the temple by driving out those who have turned the temple into a market place. He showed that, the temple was His Father’s property which should be kept Holy.
I feel that, Jesus should do the same in our Church today, because some of our Churches have completely become a market place, where people do how they like and the love for money have blinded many. Though, the need for money for the growth of the Church is necessary but it should not deter us from keeping the dwelling place of God Holy. The fear and reverence for God has completely disappeared. Thus, Jesus need to cleanse and drive out those who continue to desecrate the Holy place of God.
Succinctly put, we may not necessarily be speaking about a physical temple but the temple of our heart on which God dwells. How often do you keep your hearts free from sin by going to Confession? Have your hearts been completely desecrated by evil thoughts and desires?
Saint Paul says that, our body is the temple of the Holy spirit. The spirit of God have been placed in every human person by a simple breath of God. Let us not turn our body into an un- Holy temple, where impurities thrives.
Again, let us Open our hearts before Jesus and ask Him to make it clean again, so that, God may dwell in us. Do no forget wherever God dwells, there is peace and overflowing of miracles. Peace be with you.
