Feast of John Lateran! Veteran's Day!

Feast of John Lateran!  Veteran's Day!

On Tuesday, we celebrate Veterans Day, a national day to recognize the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes. I read a prayer by St. Ignatius of Loyola, a veteran, a prayer about heartfelt generosity. It goes like this: “Dear Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil, and not to seek for rest; to labor, and not to ask for any reward  except that of knowing that I am doing your holy will. Amen.” Veterans Day is a day to honor them for their love and sacrifices in ensuring our safety. Our men and women in uniform in the past, present, and the   future, God bless you and Thank You!

This year, the Feast of Dedication of St John Lateran falls on this Sunday. The most important temple is the temple of a person’s soul because God dwells within each one of us: the sacred sanctuary where we meet God. Saint Teresa of Ávila called it the Presence Chamber, the most central and interior dwelling place  within us.

The first reading from the book of Ezekiel (47:1-2,8-9,12), the prophet sees the river of life flowing from the Temple threshold, bestowing life wherever it reaches. The river flows from the Temple and rushes into the Dead Sea. It was a powerful image for people who had suffered from famine and drought for a long time. These words are paraphrased at the Easter Vigil Mass, when the renewal of baptismal promises and the sprinkling of the newly blessed water take place.

In the second reading from 1 Corinthians (3:9-11,16-17), St. Paul asks: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.”

In the Gospel of John (2:13-22), in the first part, Jesus cleanses the Jerusalem Temple and says, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace.” In the second part of the       Gospel, Jesus’ body is identified as the new Temple, from which the river of the Holy Spirit flows.

Why do we celebrate the dedication of a church building in Rome? In addition to the temple of the soul, there are many sacred places throughout the world: shrines, churches, basilicas, grottos, cathedrals, and other holy places that are set aside for the sole purpose of worship of God, where we join with the Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones in their angelic praises of the Most Holy Trinity. Every year on November 9, we  celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran.

During its first three hundred years of existence, the Church faced persecution throughout the world.   Christians had to meet in people’s homes or in underground cemeteries, such as the catacombs. They could not build Churches; the authorities would know where they were. But Christianity continued to spread throughout the Roman Empire. In the year 313, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan,        declaring that Christianity would no longer be persecuted. His mother, St. Helena, had become a fervent Christian. He would become a Christian himself. Now, Constantine and his mother lived in a palace in Rome that had previously belonged to the Laterani family. Constantine turned a wing of that palace over to the Church. This was the first Christian Church in Rome. It is known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran. It is the pope’s official ecclesiastical seat in Rome. He teaches and shapes the entire Church from St. John Lateran Basilica.

When we attend church, we are not just going to a building, but to the people of God. The people who first walked into St. John Lateran were overjoyed to have their own Church building. They courageously     remained faithful to Christ throughout the Roman persecution. Can you imagine their immense joy in that moment?

Today's readings and theme focus on commitment and dedication. Jesus told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a market-place!” Jesus’ commitment and zeal for the house of God are shown in the Gospel. When we reflect on the feast of St. John Lateran, Veterans Day, it invites us to look at ourselves, the house of God, and renew our commitment to our faith.