November 9

John 2:13-22
19 Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.
20 They replied, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in
three days? 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the
dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that
Jesus had spoken.

HIGHEST WORSHIP
When I was young, my mother always brought me to Sunday Mass and taught me the
importance of the Holy Eucharist. My mother would patiently remind me that it is in the
Eucharistic celebration where I can communicate intimately with the Lord as well as hear His
message for me.
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about raising up a temple in three days. He seemed to be arrogantly
inviting scorn from His listeners by saying that He could raise up in no time at all a structure that
took the Jews an entire generation to build. But Jesus was referring to His body, the True
Temple, and not the physical building of Jerusalem's place of worship.
Today, people continue to misunderstand or fail to grasp Christ's message about who He really is
and why we receive His Body and Blood. When I was growing up, I observed how many Massgoers fail to see the true value of the Eucharist. Some merely go as lip service; some attend to
show off how rich they are with their flashy clothes, cars, and jewelry, while others more are
physically present but are mentally and spiritually absent as they celebrate the sacrament. What
is the posture of our hearts when we celebrate the Holy Eucharist?
Today, Jesus Christ reminds us to know what it means to be part of His Body, the
Church. More than this being a structure and place of worship, our heavenly Father dwells in His
People, the Bride of Christ. Thus, every time we enter His house to celebrate Mass, we enter in
His presence, ready to receive Him in our hearts with all our mind, heart, and soul. May we come
prepared and worthy of His presence as we join in celebrating the highest form of worship.

Guide question: What do I do to prepare myself before Mass?