THE WORD AND THE FEAST
November 9, 2021: Dedication of the Lateran BasilicaEzekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12; (1 Corinthians 3:9-11,16-17); John 2:13-22
Today we celebrate the dedication of the Basilica of St. John at the Lateran. This basilica is special because it is one of the four major basilicas of the Church in Rome. It becomes more special because it is the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, which is the Holy Father himself.
The feast of today gives us great insights into living an authentic Christian life!
The first insight is to be the Temple of the Lord, in our personal dedication to the Lord, in our unselfish and pure relationships and in our capacity to hold God out to people who come in touch with us.
The second insight is to build up the Temple of the Lord, that is the People of God. Today we see a tendency to invest crores on constructing and renovating churches, while the whole world is helplessly looking at misery that swallows scores of have-nots so easily pushed to peripheries because the majority are bothered only upto themselves. That too with this pandemic scene that has devoured the world situation, we need to be really careful what we wish to build - the edifice of the church, or the People who are the Church!
The third insight is to beware of breaking or dividing or scattering or demolishing this Church, the living body of Christ. The sealed churches, the schismatics, the dissident clergy, the churches that divide people with lies for ulterior motives - these are anti Gospel elements which not only delay the coming of the Reign of God but actively block it. If we are really the Church of God, we need to beware of our motives in doing all that we do!
Today, as we thank God for the great history that we have as a faith community of God, may we BE, may we BUILD and may we BEWARE to take optimum care of the House of God here on earth.