Daily Readings - Sat Nov 09 2019

First Reading - Ezekiel 47.1-2, 8-9, 12 or 1 Corinthians 3.9b-11, 16-17

¹And he turned me back to the gate of the house. And behold, waters went out, from under the threshold of the house, toward the east. For the face of the house looked toward the east. But the waters descended on the right side of the temple, toward the south of the altar²And he led me out, along the way of the north gate, and he turned me back toward the way outside the exterior gate, the way which looked toward the east. And behold, the waters overflowed on the right side⁸And he said to me: "These waters, which go forth toward the hillocks of sand to the east, and which descend to the plains of the desert, will enter the sea, and will go out, and the waters will be healed⁹And every living soul that moves, wherever the torrent arrives, will live. And there will be more than enough fish, after these waters have arrived there, and they will be healed. And all things will live, where the torrent arrives¹²And above the torrent, on its banks on both sides, every kind of fruit tree will rise up. Their foliage will not fall away, and their fruit will not fail. Every single month they will bring forth first-fruits. For its waters will go forth from the sanctuary. And its fruits will be for food, and its leaves will be for medicine.

1 Corinthians

Chapter 3

⁹For we are God’s assistants. You are God’s cultivation; you are God’s construction¹⁰According to the grace of God, which has been given to me, I have laid the foundation like a wise architect. But another builds upon it. So then, let each one be careful how he builds upon it¹¹For no one is able to lay any other foundation, in place of that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus¹⁶Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives within you¹⁷But if anyone violates the Temple of God, God will destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, and you are that Temple

John

Chapter 2

¹³And the Passover of the Jews was near, and so Jesus ascended to Jerusalem¹⁴And he found, sitting in the temple, sellers of oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers¹⁵And when he had made something like a whip out of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, including the sheep and the oxen. And he poured out the brass coins of the moneychangers, and he overturned their tables¹⁶And to those who were selling doves, he said: "Take these things out of here, and do not make my Father’s house into a house of commerce.¹⁷And truly, his disciples were reminded that it is written: "Zeal for your house consumes me.¹⁸Then the Jews responded and said to him, "What sign can you show to us, that you may do these things?¹⁹Jesus responded and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.²⁰Then the Jews said, "This temple has been built up over forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?²¹Yet he was speaking about the Temple of his body²²Therefore, when he had resurrected from the dead, his disciples were reminded that he had said this, and they believed in the Scriptures and in the word that Jesus had spoken

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of life-giving water, purification, and the transformative power of God. In Ezekiel’s vision, we see a river flowing from the temple, bringing life and healing to all it touches. This river is not just a physical phenomenon but a symbol of God’s grace and the restoration He promises to His people. The prophet describes how even the saltiest waters are made fresh, and the barren land becomes fruitful, with trees growing on its banks that bear fruit every month. This vision is a reminder of God’s desire to bring life and fertility to His creation, even in the most desolate places. In the Gospel, Jesus takes this imagery a step further. When He drives the merchants and moneychangers out of the temple, He is not just cleansing a physical space; He is declaring that the true temple is His own body. The temple in Jerusalem was meant to be a place of encounter with God, but it had become corrupted by greed and worldly concerns. Jesus’ actions are a call to purity and a reminder that the true source of life and healing is not a building but the living God. Just as Ezekiel’s river flows from the temple to bring life to the world, Jesus’ own life flows from the cross to bring salvation to all humanity. These readings challenge us to consider how we might be temples of the Holy Spirit in our own lives. Are there areas in our hearts or lives that have become cluttered with worldly distractions, preventing the river of God’s grace from flowing freely? Let us ask for the courage to be purified and transformed, so that we might bear fruit in every season and bring life and healing to those around us. May we remember that the zeal for God’s house—the passion for His presence and purpose—should consume us, just as it consumed Jesus.