Activities in Preparation for 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.

Making the Connection (Grades 1, 2, and 3)
Children are often asked to clean up their rooms. Parents know that how we take care of a space influences how we take care of ourselves and others. As we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, we focus on how Jesus cleansed the Temple, challenging us to respect his Father's house and all that it stands for, especially his people.

Materials Needed (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings (Grades 1, 2, and 3)

1. Ask the children to share how often they are asked to clean their rooms. Ask: Why do parents want us to clean our rooms? (We take pride in our rooms. Our rooms are a reflection of ourselves.)
2. Say: Our parents know that if we make a mess in our rooms, we will likely be messy in other places. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus does some cleaning in a very important place.
3. Read aloud the Gospel, John 2:13-22.
4. Ask: What building did Jesus clean out? (the Temple) What was it that Jesus felt did not belong in the Temple? (the people who were selling things)
5. Say: Jesus wanted everyone to know that the Temple was his Father's house and that it was a place that should be treated with respect and used only for prayer. He knew that if people did not show respect for the Temple of God, they wouldn't show respect for one another.
6. Ask the children to describe how we can show respect for God's house, the church, whenever we enter it. (We quiet ourselves. We genuflect before the tabernacle. We bow before the altar. We pray.)
7. Say: We show respect for the house of God, the church, because we know that Jesus is present there. By showing respect for the church building, we are also showing respect for the Church, that is, the People of God, who gather in that building to worship God.
8. Conclude by praying this Sunday's psalm, Psalm 46.

Making the Connection (Grades 4, 5, and 6)
Some children at this age have visited the homes of famous people as part of family vacations. These homes speak about the people who lived there. As we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome, we are reminded that we are not celebrating a building, but the people that this building represents: the pope and the People of God.

Materials Needed (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

• None

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings (Grades 4, 5, and 6)

1. Ask the children if they have ever visited the home of a famous person, for example, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson.
2. Encourage the children to talk about some homes of famous people that they have visited.
3. Say: We visit the homes of famous people, not so much because we want to learn about the building, but because we want to learn about the person who once lived there. Buildings can often tell us a lot about people. This Sunday, we are celebrating the dedication of a building. It's called the Basilica of St. John Lateran, and it is in Rome. The reason it is so famous is because it is the cathedral church of the diocese of Rome. Does anyone know who the Bishop of Rome is? (the pope)
4. Say: It may seem as though we are celebrating a building at this Mass, but we are really celebrating the people who make this building special: the pope, who is the Bishop of Rome, and the People of God who gather there.
5. Invite a volunteer to read aloud the Gospel, John 2:13-22.
6. Ask: What important building was Jesus visiting in this Gospel story? (the Temple) Whose “home” was the Temple? (God's)
7. Say: Jesus reminds us to respect the places where we gather to worship God so that we worship him with pure hearts and minds.
8. Conclude by praying the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 46.

Making the Connection (Grades 7 and 8)
Young people at this age might have traveled and visited churches in other cities and countries. Their experiences can provide the foundation for the celebration of the dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

Materials Needed (Grades 7 and 8)

• A picture of the Basilica of St. John Lateran
• The name of your local cathedral

Preparation for Sunday Scripture Readings (Grades 7 and 8)

1. Ask the young people to name the capital of your home state. Then quiz them on the capitals of a few other states.
2. Ask: What does it mean when we call a city a capital? (It is a city where a government is located.)
3. Say: During the time of Jesus, the Roman Empire ruled over a great area of the world. What was the capital of this empire? (Rome)
4. Say: When the early Church set forth to carry the Gospel of Jesus to the world, it knew that it needed to go to Rome, the capital of the most influential political power at that time. It was in Rome that Peter, the first pope, was martyred. Rome became the center from which the pope, the Bishop of Rome, governed the Church. Does anyone know what we call the church where a bishop resides? (a cathedral) Ask if anyone knows the name of your local cathedral.
5. Say: This Sunday, we celebrate the dedication of the cathedral church in Rome—the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Show the picture of the church. Explain that it is called a basilica because it refers to a specific architectural style or a church's historical or religious importance.
6. Explain that, even though St. Peter's in Rome is more known, the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the seat of the Bishop of Rome. Say: Grandeur and beauty are important ways to honor God. But we are foremost a church of people, of believers. When we recall that the pope is also a bishop, a person responsible for leading his parish and diocese, we appreciate that the Body of Christ is made up of us all. In celebrating the dedication of the building, we are really celebrating the function of the space as the gathering place of the Church body.
7. Ask a volunteer to read aloud the Gospel for this Sunday, John 2:13-22.
8. Ask the young people if they have visited churches in other cities or other countries. Invite volunteers to share their experiences.
9. Say: Wherever we go, as Catholics, we can enter a Catholic church and call it our home, because it is a place where we gather as God's family. As we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, let's remember that we are called to live as members of the Body of Christ.
10. Conclude by praying together the psalm for this Sunday, Psalm 46.