Healers of the World!

Saturday, November 9, 2024

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome!

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

Today, our Mother Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome!

Why should the dedication of the Lateran Basilica be important for Catholics? 

A comparison would help us understand the significance of this feast. 

St. John Lateran is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, where the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) presides. Hence, it is the Pope’s Church. If a parish Church is dedicated, it is a feast for all its parishioners. Likewise, since St. John Lateran is the Papal Basilica, it bears the significance of being ‘the parish Church’ for all Catholics. In other words, this is the mother Church of all Churches in the world. As such, it is the spiritual home of the people who are the Church. 

Moreover, this Church gives us all our identity as Catholics. This Church has given us a sense of unity around the leadership of the Bishop of Rome. This Church is a symbol of our belonging to the universal Church wherein every Catholic finds his/her rightful place. 

If the feast is so profoundly symbolic, it invites us to reflect on the purpose of our consecration as the living temples of God. We can find the readings highlighting the same theme. 

The first reading contains a beautiful insight for our reflection. The water that flows from God’s temple into the sea does not become brackish or salty but rather makes the seawater fresh. The water that flows from God’s temple has a healing touch that heals the sea of its saltiness. It gives life to many organisms. Finally, it ensures the prosperity of trees and plants. 

The second reading reminds us that we are the living temples of God, and therefore, these temples have been consecrated to be holy. As such, while the lack of sanctity would lead us to peril, conducting ourselves in sanctity fulfills the very purpose of our consecrated selves. If we are the living presence of God, we have the responsibility to live up to the expectations. 

The Gospel text that presents the cleansing of the temple also establishes Jesus’ own body as the new temple wherein the divine-human encounter would take place by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus, the new temple, is the sign and symbol of reconciliation between heaven and earth. Thus, Jesus, the new temple, becomes the symbol of unity and peace. 

While the central theme of today’s feast is the temple of God, the feast reminds us that we are those temples of God. Radiating God’s presence, Christians are called to be the change agents in the world because Jesus has called us to be the ‘salt’ (Mt 5:13) and ‘light’ (Mt 5:14) of the world. 

Let us pray that, true to our identity as the living temples of God, we may be the healers of the world. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar