Feast of the
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
(Ezekiel 47:1-2.8-9.12; I Corinthians 3:9c-11.16-17; John 2:13-22)
Today’s feast celebrates the dedication of the Lateran
Basilica. Many wonder, what is so great
about that? It is one of the four
magnificent churches in Rome and the locale of five general councils of the
Church, the most important one being the fourth in 1215. That
council called for bishops to appoint preachers and to support them in their
work. The mandate paved the way for the
establishment of the Dominican Order a year later.
More importantly, the Lateran Cathedral is the church of
the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ.
As such, it serves as the symbol of all Christian churches. In other words, today we honor all the
churches in the world. A church is the
preferred meeting place of the human person with God. As we enter a church, we make a blessing with
holy water. This is a way of cleansing
ourselves from the mess we sometimes make in the world so that we may
communicate with God.
The deepest meaning for a church is actually Christ
himself. The Church is the body of Christ
as Jesus implies in today’s gospel. Here
we feel his warm embrace. For this
reason a church has been considered as a sanctuary where sinners and even
criminals might find refuge. Today we
celebrate not so much a building but Jesus Christ. We give God thanks for the love Christ has
shown us and for the peace he imparts to us.
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