Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (A)

Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17; Jn 2:13-22

Today the Church celebrates the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica which is located in Rome, in a land donated by the Laterani family.  It was Pope Sylvester I who dedicated the Basilica on the 9^th day of November 324 AD. Originally, the Basilica was dedicated to the Savior, and later to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The Lateran Basilica is of enormous importance because it is the cathedral of the pope (not Saint Peter’s Basilica as many would easily think). For this reason, it is known as the “mother and head of all churches in the city of Rome and of the whole world” (Omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater, et caput).

As we commemorate the dedication a great church, the liturgy invites us to appreciate once more the sacredness of every house of God. First of all, the temple of God is in the hearts of people who welcome the Word of God. Jesus declares, “My Father will love them, and my Father and I will come to them and live with them” (Jn 14:23). In the second reading, Saint Paul says “God’s spirit lives in you. . . you yourselves are His temple (1 Cor 3:16-17). Every true Christian, therefore, is a temple of God, a sacred dwelling place.

God will reside not only in the heart of a Christian but also in the midst of people who are gathered in His name. “Whenever two or three come together in my name, I am there with them” (Mt 18:20). In other words, those of us who are bonded together in love also become sacred temples of God. Henceforth, we call every Christian family a “domestic Church” or a “Church in miniature”.

If God dwells in our hearts and in the midst of us, why do we still need to construct a Church building? Why do we have to go to a Church in order to pray? Every Church building is a symbol of our oneness in Christ. Because we are one body of Christ, we are called to take care of one another. When we go to a Church or a house of prayer, we pray with others and for others. In a Church building we find a meeting place where we can express our love for God and for one another.

In the gospel, Jesus was extremely mad at the merchants selling animals and the money-changers who converted the temple into a noisy marketplace, making it almost impossible for the people, especially the poor, to worship God. The merchants had offended God by destroying the sacredness of the place and by enriching themselves at the expense of the poor worshippers.

Somehow, this gospel teaches that in our life of faith, we are not supposed to possess a business mentality. Our relationship with God is like that of a child to a loving father, which naturally is inspired by intimate, mutual loving, not by the thought of gains or losses. We go to Church on Sundays because we love God, and not because we are afraid of hell. We give love offerings during the Mass because we wish to give thanks and to share, and not because we like to bribe the Lord. Finally, we do good works because we respect and love other people, and not because we only want to get merits for heaven.