November 8, 2008

We Are God's Building

This weekend we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral church of Western Christianity, the basilica of St. John Lateran. My homily for this weekend is posted here.

4 comments:

for narnia said...

Fr. C, this is a very beautiful and inspiring homily for a really beautiful solemnity that we're celebrating this weekend. thank you! since i have the honor to be lector at the 5:00 Mass this evening, i did my usual reading of and reflecting of the Sacred Scripture for this weekend. the Scripture is so beautiful and very rich in meaning for this Solemnity of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. i really love the first reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekial 47:1-2, 8-9, 12.) i get a sense of being led by the angel as i read this passage from Sacred Scripture - i can really picture what is happening. in a way, it's like being led by the Holy Spirit and just following Jesus where ever he calls us to "be church" for others. it's true that church isn't just the church building itself, as you mention in your homily, Fr. C. during my reflection the past week, i came across a sermon by St. Augustine that seems to fit this Solemnity we celebrate this weekend: "What was done here, as these walls were rising, is reproduced when we bring together those who believe in Christ. For, by believing they are hewn out, as it were, from mountains and forests, like stones and timber; but by catechizing, baptism and instruction they are, as it were, shaped, squared and planed by the hands of the workers and artisans. Nevertheless, they do not make a house for the Lord until they are fitted together through love." ~~St
Augustine~~ the church is the spiritual home of the people who are the church. PEACE!
tara t

Brother Charles said...

Great quote!

A Bit of the Blarney said...

Your homily was most instructional and caused reflection on how I am "church." Interestingly I think in many ways I have become who I represent, at least I hope so. But one cannot rest on her laurels. My work as "church" is a constant endeavor to improve, an ongoing work of "repair and remodeling." Thank you! Cathy

Anonymous said...

Yesterday, for the first time in over 40 years a Pontifical Solemn High Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. The celebrant was our new Auxiliary Bishop, James Conley. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Bishop Conley did some graduate work at the Lateran University, and so was able to share some personal memories of the Archbasilica. He said that he would often go there to pray as a student. He focused at length on the baptisry, where literaly millions of Romans have been baptized and focused on the Church building (not just the Archbasilica, but every church) as the place where we meet God at significant moments of our lives, and so he explained how in many ways the building with its ornate structures and symbols is a foretaste of Heaven, where we will dwell with God.