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Today’s Gospel
for the family

Today's Gospel + image + catechesis

November 9th: Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome

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Gospel text (Jn 2,13-22): Jesus said, «Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up». As the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple court He found merchants selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the Temple court, together with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the money-changers, scattering the coins, and ordered the people selling doves, «Take all this away and stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!». His disciples recalled the words of Scripture: ‘Zeal for your House devours me as a fire’.

The Jews then questioned Jesus, «Where are the miraculous signs which give you the right to do this?». And Jesus said, «Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up». The Jews then replied, «The building of this temple has already taken forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?». Actually, Jesus was referring to the temple of his body. Only when He had risen from the dead, did his disciples remember these words; then they believed both the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.

Illustration: Pau Morales

Today we feel very close to the Bishop of Rome. We think sometimes that the Vatican is the "cathedral" of the Catholic Church, but it is not like that really! The Universal Church exists and is incarnated in the Particular Churches, that is, the dioceses. Above them the one of Rome stands out because "it presides over in the charity". In any case, Jesus Christ -the true Temple of God- is in all those Particular Churches.

- Jesus entrusted Simon Peter to watch over the faith of the faithful. Peter established his See in Rome and, since then, all the Popes who succeed him carry out their mission from there, being his cathedral the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

September 29th

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels


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