Daily Reading and Questions for Reflection

Daily Reading for Saturday, November 9th, 2024

Reading 1, Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12

1                   He brought me back to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream flowed eastwards from under the Temple threshold, for the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar.

2                   He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side.

8                   He said, 'This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome.

9                   Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows.

12 Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9

2                   so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil, though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,

3                   and its waters roar and seethe, and the mountains totter as it heaves. (Yahweh Sabaoth is with us, our citadel, the God of Jacob.)

5  God is in the city, it cannot fall; at break of day God comes to its rescue.

6  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms are tumbling, when he raises his voice the earth crumbles away.

8  Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh, the astounding deeds he has done on the earth;

9  he puts an end to wars over the whole wide world, he breaks the bow, he snaps the spear, shields he burns in the fire.

Reading 2, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17

9  After all, we do share in God's work; you are God's farm, God's building.

10               By the grace of God which was given to me, I laid the foundations like a trained master-builder, and someone else is building on them. Now each one must be careful how he does the building.

11               For nobody can lay down any other foundation than the one which is there already, namely Jesus Christ.

16  Do you not realise that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you?

17  If anybody should destroy the temple of God, God will destroy that person, because God's temple is holy; and you are that temple.

Gospel, John 2:13-22

13  When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14  and in the Temple he found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there.

15  Making a whip out of cord, he drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over

16  and said to the dove sellers, 'Take all this out of here and stop using my Father's house as a market.'

17  Then his disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for your house.

18  The Jews intervened and said, 'What sign can you show us that you should act like this?'

19  Jesus answered, 'Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'

20  The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?'

21  But he was speaking of the Temple that was his body,

22  and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what he had said.

Questions for Reflection for November 9, 2024

1.      The image presented by the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel speaks of a time when the waters would fill the temple and bring great renewal and fruitfulness to the people of God, Israel. Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. That promise continues today for the Church, the new Israel and for each family, the domestic church, and each believer. We need to invite the waters of the Holy Spirit into the Church through daily prayer, Come Holy Spirit. We should invite the living waters of the Holy Spirit into our own family and personal life. Do we do so? Come Holy Spirit.

2.      The Apostle Paul continues with the beautiful theme of the temple by reminding us that we are Gods building and Jesus Christ is the foundation of our lives. We are a living temple and the Spirit of God dwells within us. Do we really believe this? Are we living our daily lives as a temple of God’s presence, realizing who we are called to be now that Jesus Christ has made His home within us?

3.      Jesus walks into the temple and sees that it is being used, not as a house of worship, a place where God comes to dwell among men and women, but as a den of thieves, a place of buying and selling. He demonstrates righteous anger. Then, He proclaims that He Himself is the temple and promises that even if he is put to death, He will be raised on the Third Day. Those who welcomed Him and His message with living faith, understood. Do we?