Scripture Readings: Book of the Prophet Ezequiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; Gospel According to Saint John 2:13-22
Every year on November 9th, on whatever day of the week it falls, the Church recounts the dedication, that is the completion and consecration in Rome by Pope Sylvester, of the world’s first cathedral, in 324 AD.
The church is called “the Lateran Basilica” today, originally dedicated to Christ our Savior, and later dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Apostle.
The Lateran Basilica was begun under the Emperor Constantine, in 315, who in 313 had published the “Edict of Milan,” granting religious freedom to Christians. Constantine himself donated the palace of the Lateran to the Church for its first basilica.
The Lateran basilica was the official residence of the popes from the fourth to the fifteenth centuries, and today is still the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the pope, and as such ranks as the “mother and head of all churches in the city [of Rome] and the world.”
More than merely remembering a church building, though, this feast is a sign of devotion to and unity with the Chair of Peter which, as Saint Ignatius of Antioch wrote: “presides over the whole assembly of charity.”
This feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica confirms our belief in the long salvation history still unfolding. By remembering the past, such as the consecration of the pope’s cathedral, our faith should be revived and our desire for holiness and repentance renewed. This feast leads us forward to the cloud of glory, whereby we are living stones of the eternal temple of God, the Body of Christ.
A prayer by the late biblical scholar, Father Carroll Stuhlmueller, of the Congregation of the Passion:
Lord, how lovely is your dwelling place. How beautiful are the living stones of your saints. Let me dwell in this your holy temple and become a lasting member of its edifice. Invite me beyond the threshold into your heavenly Holy of Holies. Amen.
Abbot Christian Leisy, OSB