If the Lateran Basilica is the central point from which God’s word flows to the rest of the Catholic world, think of what our souls–as temples of the Holy Spirit–are capable of.

November 9, 2025: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
Ezekiel 47:1–2, 8–9, 12
Psalm 46:2–3, 5–6, 8–9
1 Corinthians 3:9c–11, 16–17
John 2:13–22

Tables Flipped, Souls Restored

A reflection by Sam Barnes

My friend and DignityUSA President Meli Barber has a sweatshirt that reads, “Stop trying to sit at the tables Jesus flipped.” It is quite fun to watch people give that sweatshirt an initial glance and smile, thinking one way about her because she is publicly wearing a sweatshirt that says “Jesus,” before frowning as they confront the reality of the threaded words.

John 2:13–22, our gospel reading for today, recounts a story of Jesus casting merchants out of the temple in Jerusalem during Passover. Among the banished interlopers are money changers and cattle sellers. In this context, money changers were people who exchanged foreign currency for Jewish money at a high cost. At the time, Jewish law required a temple tax equivalent to an average worker’s two days of wages. Jews and visitors from other nations would travel to Jerusalem at the time of Passover and offer the tax, but the temple wouldn’t accept foreign currency. That’s where the money changers came in.

After Jesus scatters the cattle sellers and money changers, the Jews ask for a justification for his behaviour. Confusingly, Jesus responds with a metaphor: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:20). If I was a Jew, I would admittedly be doubtful at this man’s power to restore in three days a building that took 46 years to build. However, John enlightens us readers to the implied meaning of Jesus’s words: “But the temple he was talking about was the temple of his body” (John 2:22).

In reading this verse, I am challenged to think of who might be the money changers in today’s world. And, perhaps more importantly, what does the metaphor of the temple represent for queer people of faith?

This week’s readings are meant to celebrate the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Without going full history nerd on you, I will at least say that the Lateran Basilica is one of the most important basilicas in the Catholic world. It is the official cathedral of Rome and therefore the mother church for Catholicism, a central place of worship for the Catholic world. According to Catechism 756, churches, shrines, cathedrals, and basilicas like the Lateran are holy dwelling places for God, signifying a piece of Heaven on earth.

Even more important than the physical buildings, Christians themselves are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our soul is a sacred sanctuary where we meet God, regardless of whether we are standing in the Lateran Basilica or a pride parade. If the Lateran Basilica is the central point from which God’s word flows to the rest of the Catholic world, think of what our souls are capable of! The grace of God bursts forth from our holy, queer beings like the holy river mentioned in Ezekiel 47:9: “Wherever the river flows, swarms of living creatures will live there and multiply.”

If your rushing stream feels more like a trickle these days, do not fret. We are not meant to walk this world burdened and alone. In 1 Corinthians 3:10, Paul states, “I laid a foundation like a skilled master builder, and someone else is building on that foundation.” Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera rioted outside the Stonewall Inn for seven days and six nights in 1969 so President Clinton could declare in 1999 that June would henceforth be the national Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay person elected in 1977 to political office so that 12 openly LGBTQIA+ politicians could be elected to the US House of Representatives in 2025. And for my millennial and Gen Z readers, Korra and Asami held hands so that Catra and Adora could kiss.

Queer people are constantly shaking the status quo so the future is more inclusive and representative of our lived experiences. Obviously, there is much more work that we need to do, but that is not the focus today. Instead, I want to assure LGBTQIA+ people of faith that you, at your core, are queer. You are not having queer desires that taint your non-queer soul. Your soul–your temple to God–is both queer and holy! God will not destroy you, and Jesus will not flip your table for “ruining that temple by living a queer life,” because you are not ruining it at all. You are growing it, and yourself, into a more capable and loving person. And I believe that fully realized queer Catholics are the future of the global Church.

Let’s grow that Church together.

Sam Barnes is a youth advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Catholic and religious spaces. They have a master’s degree in policy and work in the international affairs space. They previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Review published by The George Washington University. In their free time they enjoy rock climbing and reading, and volunteer with a local mentorship program for high schoolers.