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.

The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side.

He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh.

Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.”

Jesus demonstrates his zeal for the consecrated house of God by demolishing the structures that make it a marketplace. Its purpose must be respected. It should be a place where people can pray undisturbed by commercial transactions.

Today, even religious organizations and communities are being used by unscrupulous leaders and their members to advance their business and political agenda. Churches are even treated as backdrop for photo ops. Many preachers preach “prosperity Gospel.”

They deceive people into investing their money into their corporations and convert them into moneymakers, more than becoming authentic disciples of Christ. We are reminded again that our churches, beautiful or so, should be venues to cultivate deep communion with God.

The world is watching us. Even the unbelievers question why we are abusing our sacred places. We are turning them into a den of scammers and networkers.

The First Reading presents the vision of Ezekiel about the Temple. There is an abundance of water in and out. The flow of water reaches the desert and goes into the sea, turning salt water into fresh water, potable to living creatures. The imagery alludes to the first creation story in Genesis (1:6-7. 9-12, 20-22).

In the Second Reading, Paul says that we are God’s Temple. God builds his Temple through the apostles. The one who lays its foundation is none other than Jesus Christ. Nobody should destroy us, for we are God’s Temple. Otherwise, he or she will be destroyed.