(11/9/2025) John 2,13-22; Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Sharing Guidelines

*Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
*Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
*Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
*Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
*When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
*Keep it short.

Gospel

John 2:13-22

Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.

At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”

But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

Today’s Reflection

Before an important exam, I went to a church. My mind was confused, and I couldn’t focus on studying. While walking around, I happened to find a church. I didn’t ask God for anything. I just sat there, looking at the cross behind the altar. I’m not sure how long I stayed, but when I checked the time, four hours had passed.

We go to church to attend Mass and to pray. Sometimes we go for comfort or to find peace in our hearts. Sometimes we go to feel joy and happiness. Why? Because God is there. A church is a place where we meet God — a place to be comforted, to find peace, to talk with God, to ask, and to hope.

But Jesus said the place to meet God is not only the temple, but also His own body. Still, like the disciples before they experienced the Resurrection, we don’t always understand what this means. Maybe we haven’t truly experienced the Resurrection yet. Or maybe we just don’t understand His words fully.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave His body to the disciples. Through bread and wine, He shared His love and sacrifice. Through the Eucharist, we can meet God. The Eucharist is the true temple — the place where we find God, His comfort, His peace, His joy.

We receive the Eucharist. Not just me, but others too. All of us, each one of us, becomes God’s temple — God’s house. So how do you treat the person next to you, who also has received the Eucharist and is now God’s house? When you look at them, do you see God? Their voice, their actions — maybe God is using them to give you peace and comfort.

“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? … You are God’s temple.” (최종훈 토마스 신부)
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Sharing:

1. Let’s share a word or phrase that touched your heart.

2. What does the scene of Jesus cleansing the temple teach us about the kind of “cleansing” we need in our faith life? What are the “marketplace” areas in my life that need to be cleared out?

3. Sometimes we rely too much on our health, knowledge, or abilities, and this can lead to pride. As a layperson, what are some specific ways I can “empty myself of what is mine and be filled with what is the Lord’s” in my daily life?