Daily Readings - Tue Nov 09 2021

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

In today's readings, we encounter powerful visions of life, renewal, and the restoration of God's presence in the world. Ezekiel's prophetic vision describes a river flowing from the temple, bringing life and healing to all it touches. This river symbolizes the life-giving power of God, transforming even the most desolate places into gardens of abundance. The temple, as the source of this river, represents God's dwelling place among his people, from which flows spiritual nourishment and vitality. Ezekiel's vision is a message of hope, reminding us that God's presence can bring life out of barrenness and restore creation to its full potential. In the Gospel, Jesus' cleansing of the temple offers a dramatic contrast to Ezekiel's serene and life-giving river. Jesus, filled with zeal for his Father's house, drives out the money changers and traders who have turned the temple into a place of commerce rather than prayer. This act is not just a critique of corruption; it is a call to reclaim the temple as a sacred space where God's people can encounter his presence. Jesus' words, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," point to the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel's vision: the temple of his own body, which would be destroyed on the cross and raised on the third day. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus becomes the new source of living water, flowing forth to heal and transform all who believe in him. These readings invite us to reflect on our own lives as temples of the Holy Spirit. Just as Ezekiel's river flows from the temple to bring life to the world, and just as Jesus cleanses the temple to restore its sacred purpose, we are called to allow God's life-giving Spirit to flow through us. We must examine our hearts and lives, asking whether we are allowing God's presence to transform us and flow out to others. Let us strive to be sources of healing, hope, and renewal in a world that so desperately needs it. May we, like Jesus, be consumed by zeal for God's house, and may we become living temples from which the waters of life flow abundantly.