9 November
Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12; Psalm 45(46):2-3,5-6,8-9; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17; John 2:13-22.
Reflection:
The Basilica dedicated to St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist in the Lateran, in Rome, is one of the four main basilicas in Rome and is the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome. For this reason, the dedication of this church, considered to be the mother of all churches in the world, is celebrated with a certain solemnity. The relevance of this celebration comes from the fact it expresses our communion with the vicar of Christ.
In the gospel from John we reflect on Jesus’ visit to the temple in Jerusalem where he found many people selling animals for the sacrifices and exchanging money for the people’s offerings. Jesus was angry because he saw that his Father’s house had been turned into a marketplace. He threw out all who were doing business at the temple.
The temple of Jerusalem and the temple of the Church are special places where we can gather as a family to offer our prayers to God. In Jesus’ time, animals were offered in order to obtain reconciliation with God; in our Churches, we participate in the sacrifice that Jesus offered, once and for all times, on the Golgotha. For us too, the temple of the Church is our Father’s house, the place where we can encounter God in a special way.
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Further Reading:
The Servant of God Joseph De Piro had a special connection with the church if St John Lateran since in this Basilica, on 21 December 1901, he was ordained deacon and on 15 March 1902 he was ordained to the priesthood.
Moreover, the Lateran Basilica represents our relationship with the Supreme Pontiff. Through his ordination to the priesthood Joseph De Piro promised to obey his diocesan bishop and also the Pope in Rome. De Piro took this commitment very seriously. We know that he always showed great respect to the bishops of both Malta and Gozo, even when he disagreed with their decisions.
Between 1922 and 1933 the Servant of God Joseph De Piro published an annual Almanac for the Institute of Missions. The main purpose of this almanac was to promote the missionary activity of the Church. In this almanac he often printed articles and letters that spoke about priests and religious committed to work among peoples who had still not heard of the Good News of the gospel. Among other articles, De Piro, who edited this annual, always published information about papal encyclicals and other important information about the popes and their magisterium. This too indicates the respect De Piro always showed towards his superiors, especially his bishops and the pope.
(mz 05/07/25)