Beloved Family:
On Saturday, Bishop Martin Amos— who served as one of my college professors of Sacred Scripture back in my days at Borromeo seminary— comes to Saint Mary to confer the sacrament of Confirmation on twenty-six young men and women from our parish and Saint Agnes. The readings for that Mass will be specific to that occasion. However, for the balance of the weekend liturgies, the calendar aligns with the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Once again, therefore, we shift from the regular Sunday readings to a distinctive set of biblical passages.
“Omnium urbis et orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput. The Mother of all the Churches of Rome and of the world.” While generally people would think of Saint Peter Basilica as the main church associated with the papacy, this inscription indicates that Saint John Lateran, one of the four major basilicas in Rome, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope.
Here is a thumbnail of the four readings of the Mass for the feast:
Ezekiel 47: the river of life flowing from God’s house
Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 shows water issuing from the temple that heals and nourishes. The image sets the theological tone for this celebration and links prophecy to sacred place.
Psalm 46: God is our refuge, the city of God rejoices
The responsorial Psalm (46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9) names God as refuge. It pictures the city where God dwells and lifts up worship as communal joy. This psalm helps the faithful relate building and people.
1 Corinthians 3: living stones and the one foundation, Christ
Paul (1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17) teaches that believers are God’s temple, built on Christ alone. The Preface and Communion antiphon echo this by calling Christians living stones in a spiritual house.
John 2: Jesus cleanses the Temple and reveals the true sanctuary
John 2:13-22 records Jesus driving out sellers and calling his body the true temple. This Gospel links zeal for the Father’s house with the mystery of Christ. It frames how St. John Lateran and other basilicas point to him.
I would like to call our attention to the words of Saint Paul (1Corinthians 3:16-17):
Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroy God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.
Obviously, beloved, for Christians “temple” refers to a reality far beyond—and above—real estate. As the design of our fall Adult Faith Formation series has reflected, the human body is an amazing creation, a gift from God, and we have a tremendous responsibility as stewards of that gift. How we treat our own bodies and the bodies of our brothers and sisters matter immensely.
This ties in most naturally with the first of seven principles of Catholic social teaching, Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Made in the image and likeness of God, all persons are sacred. Belief in the sanctity of human life and inherent dignity of each person is the foundation of all of our social teachings. Today this value is threatened by abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, the death penalty, and the many ways in which people are treated with disregard for their human dignity.
Lord Jesus: guide us in upholding the incalculable value of our own lives and the lives of others.
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
