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Lateran Basilica It seems strange to be celebrating the dedication today of a church. Normally we celebrate feast days of our Lord, Mary and the saints. You might be wondering why we are doing this, the simple reason is that this Church is like no other, the Lateran Basilica (under the title Blessed Saviour, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist) is the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome. It is the place where he presides over the diocese of Rome and the whole church, we are united with him and the faith that he professes. This Church is therefore meant to be a sign of strong unity in the Church , we are united, joined together, we profess and lives the same things. That basilica is also meant to remind us that its a model for all our churches. It is one of the first churches to be dedicated to God. It reminds us what every church should, it should be a house of God. A house of prayer. A place of peace. A place where living waters flow and people who come may drink. We are warned not to turn it into a market place, but remember what it should be. The Lateran Basilica goes back to Roman times. It was first of all a site of a major fort and it was also a palace of the Laterani, a family of civil servants who worked for the emperor. It was taken off them by Nero and became part of the property of the emperors. The first Christian emperor, Constantine, gave it to the Pope in the year 313 and in the year 324, when everything was complete, it was dedicated as the House of God, it was there that the Papal throne was placed. It was dedicated on two other occasions in 10th century to John the Baptist and then 12th century to John the evangelist. It was destroyed in 896 by an earthquake and badly damaged by two fires in 1308 and 1360 on each occasion it was re-built. It was the place that for over a thousand years that the Pope’s lived. It was the place where 5 ecumenical councils took place. It was the place where the first Christian emperor was said to have been baptised. There are many things that we can point to on this day about this Lateran Basilica. Its beauty: it is beyond comparison, its mosaics, its statues, its size, its height – it reminds us that nothing can be too good for the house of God, down through the centuries men and women have employed their greatest skills to create something which is the best they can offer to God. Another thing is its age, it has stretched from the beginnings, and earthquakes, fires, changing times have not diminished the importance of this building and all it represents - faith which remains and cannot be destroyed. It reminds us too that we have a centre, we are not alone, we are not cut off from everyone else, what we are professing in the world is the same faith that is professed in that Church from the first times. This Church like the great Lateran Basilica is dedicated to the honour of God. We are not like it in its great height, size and glories that it possesses. But we want to be like it, a place where people come and drink living waters. A place where we are reminded what we are like God’s building united with one another. A place that is the house of God, a place of prayer and peace. We are a building which doesn’t stand tall, but which rather is crouched down, inserted in our own community. I hope that people don’t think small but have the greatest ambitions for this parish community. I hope that they wish a Church that gives honour to God. I hope they wish for faith is strong and that prevails against fire and earthquake that comes upon it. I hope that they have a vision of faith that pours forth, gushes forth from this building. I hope that they see that people who come here are being nourished by faith and not left hungry. Every time we come to this Church, we are joined with every other Catholic Church. The prayer, the faith, the sacraments, the lives that we live are united together with one another. When we go into their Churches we are every bit as home as we are here. This Church belongs to us, their church belongs to us, the Lateran basilica belongs to us. It is the same Church. What an amazing honour and privilege it is to sense what we have in our hands. What we own, what we belong to and what we possess. The feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica reminds us to think big, don’t think small. Prayers of the Faithful Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Priest Christ our Lord is the corners stone of the building that is the Church and he is present among us, let us pray for the needs of the Church throughout the world and the whole human family Intercessor For Pope Benedict who presides in love and charity over the Church from the Lateran Basilica, that his words and good example may give us a strong faith in today’s world. We pray to the Lord We pray that all of us may be salt to the earth and light to the world, especially in matters of charity and care for others. We pray to the Lord For countries in the world that are experiencing the terror of war – especially Congo where many people are fleeing to places of safety. We pray to the Lord For people who seek public office that they may always serve in a humble way as Christ our Lord was always humble. We pray to the Lord For people who seek to make the Church a place of honour for God, those who decorate it, those who care for it, those who beautify its liturgy. We pray to the Lord During this month of November we pray for the Holy Souls and in a special way we remember those who have fallen in battles and in wartime. We pray to the Lord Priest Come and dwell among us in this holy place. Make this a place of your healing, consolation and hope. Make it a place of your holiness and sanctifications. Make it a place of comfort for those who are troubled and place where we can leave to live your word in our heart and your message in the world. Top Comment on this Homily |