This Week in the Liturgical Year

First Reading
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12
I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east.

Psalm
Psalm 46:2-3,5-6,8-9
God is our refuge and our strength.

Second Reading
1 Corinthians 3:9-13,16-17
You are the temple of God.

Gospel
John 2:13-22
He spoke about the temple of his own body.

Background on the Gospel
The story of the cleansing of the Temple is found in all four Gospels. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus is upset with the deceitful practices of the vendors and expels them for that reason. But in John, Jesus' authority is contrasted with the authority of the Temple cult and is a criticism of the cult itself.
The story is composed of two parts, Jesus' action in the Temple and Jesus' predictions about the Temple's destruction. The time of year is the sacred feast of Passover. If the many pilgrims to Jerusalem during Passover were to have animals for the sacrificial rituals of the feast, it was necessary to sell cattle in the Temple and to change the unclean Roman money. By denouncing this, Jesus is cutting to the core of the Temple cult.
The story is really about Jesus' fate, not the Temple's fate, revealing that Jesus, not the Temple, is the locus of God's presence on earth. As they often do in John, the Jews misunderstand Jesus' words. This gives John the chance to explicitly state his point. Although this is the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is already speaking of his coming death and Resurrection.
John intentionally integrates a post-Resurrection perspective into the Gospel narrative. The statement that concludes this passage uses the fact of the Resurrection to prove the point of Jesus' words. Believers need to remember the words and actions of Jesus and claim them as affirmations of the truths of their faith.
Christians sometimes point to Jesus' anger in this passage as a way to point out Jesus' humanity. But this would miss the powerful point of the entire Gospel, that the Word became flesh. The point is not that Jesus' anger proves he is human. It is that a human being, in his words and actions, can claim the authority of God.

Family Connection
Families take pride in their homes and strive to keep them neat and clean inside and out. Talk as a family about the various chores that each family member has that contributes to the upkeep of the home. Thank each member for doing his or her chores and encourage everyone to take pride in the home. Explain that people's homes are a reflection of themselves and that a home that is clean and welcoming shows respect and hospitality. Point out that this Sunday, the Church celebrates one of its very special homes: the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Explain that this basilica is the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the pope, and that, as we celebrate its dedication, we are reminded of the people the building represents: the pope and all God's people throughout the world. Read aloud this Sunday's Gospel, John 2:13-22. Say: When we celebrate the dedication of this great church, we are reminded of our own parish church where we gather to celebrate and, even more so, of our domestic church, our home, where we encounter God every day. Remind family members that when they are asked to do chores that contribute to the upkeep of the home, they are contributing to the upkeep of the domestic church.