Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Pope’s Cathedral. The readings today refer to the Temple in Jerusalem. The Jews believed that God was present in the Temple of Jerusalem. We believe that God is present in the Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Tabernacle. In the First Reading, Ezekiel sees water flowing from the Temple, which grows into a river. Water in the desert is special because it is scarce and precious. The river flowing from the Temple would not dry up in the heat of the desert but would flow all the way to the Dead Sea. When the river reaches the Dead Sea, the unimaginable happens: it would be made fresh. Life would flourish wherever the river flowed. Like the river that flowed through the desert, Jesus walked among sinful men and women. Wherever He went, life flourished. The sick were healed, the dead were brought back to life, and demons were exorcised. In the Gospel, Jesus referred to His own body as the Temple of God.

PRAYER: Abba Father, help me to truly believe in the presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. Amen.