Holy Spirit, come and enlighten us. You are the soul of all prayer. Help us understand and hear the Word deep within our hearts. Prepare the ground of our lives and our humanity to receive Jesus, the Eternal Word made Flesh, so that he may give us life in abundance.

Today, Jesus speaks to us through his purification of the Temple. We see him burning with zeal for his Father’s house. He makes a whip, drives out the merchants and money changers, overturns their tables, and tells them not to turn his Father’s house into a marketplace.

At that time, the buying and selling of animals served the needs of Temple worship. However, religious practices had become entangled with commercial interests. God’s grace seemed to be something that could be bought, leaving the poorest and most vulnerable at a disadvantage. Jesus came for everyone, especially the poor, the needy, and those on the peripheries. His zeal reminds us that God’s grace, love, and mercy are freely given.

When asked for a sign to justify his actions, Jesus answers: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He is speaking about his own body. The Temple was the sacred place where God’s people gathered to worship. Today, as we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, we remember the importance of our churches as places where the community gathers to encounter God. We must care for these sacred spaces with devotion and reverence.

Yet Jesus reveals that he himself is the true Temple. His body will be destroyed on the Cross, but on the third day he will rise victorious over death. He is the definitive presence of God among us. He gives himself completely, offering his Body and Blood so that we may return to the Father’s embrace and recover our friendship and communion with him. What we have received freely, we must give freely.

This Gospel challenges everyone who serves in the Church: those who administer the sacraments, preach the Word, organize retreats, and lead pastoral projects. Let us examine our motivations honestly. Are we serving so that Jesus may be known, loved, and served, or are we seeking profit and personal gain? Of course, expenses must be covered, but financial requirements must never become barriers that exclude the poor or exploit people’s faith.

Have we sometimes acted like the merchants, deciding who belongs and who does not? How often have we made those who are poor, homeless, different, or struggling with sin feel unwelcome in our churches?

Pope Francis once spoke of the “apostolate of the smell,” inviting us to approach those who are often rejected, including people living on the streets. We are called to make room for everyone, recognizing the dignity of each person, regardless of their background, beliefs, or differences.