November 5, 2008
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Breaking Open the Word By James Cavanagh Nov. 9: Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome Scripture readings: Theme: Temple of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday we commemorate the dedication of the basilica of St. John Lateran. Dedicated on Nov. 9, 318, it is the oldest basilica in Rome and the official “seat” of the pope and the Cathedral of Rome. Its formal name is “Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior, John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist at the Lateran.” “Lateran” comes from the name of an ancient Roman family whose palace once occupied the site. This commemoration reminds us that while the Church is more than just a building, she is nevertheless a visible society as well a spiritual community. She is the place where the Holy Spirit flourishes. In the first reading the prophet Ezekiel foresees a restored temple after the people return from exile. He envisions a stream of pure, fresh water (a symbol of the Holy Spirit) flowing from the threshold of the temple out to the Dead Sea, transforming it from a lifeless body of brackish water into a restored Eden. Earth itself is renewed through the worship and the holiness of God’s people. In the second reading, Paul explains to the Christians in Corinth that they are a holy temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. In this week’s Gospel Jesus cleanses the temple by driving out the money changers. The temple had become corrupted by the world around it—a world dominated by money. By driving out the money changers Jesus was symbolically restoring the temple to its original purity as a house of prayer and the place where the Holy Spirit flourishes. Key verse: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16) “Catechism of the Catholic Church”: “The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church, the community of faith, hope and charity, as a visible organization through which he communicates truth and grace to all men. The Church is at the same time: a ‘society structured with hierarchical organs and the mystical body of Christ; the visible society and the spiritual community; the earthly Church and the Church endowed with heavenly riches’” (No. 770). Pope Benedict XVI: “The Church has been appropriated by God to be his particular possession in the world, something that especially belongs to him, the living temple. God does not live in stone but is alive in those who belong to him and form his true temple” (“God and the World”). Application: The Church of course is more than just a building; it is the place where the Holy Spirit flourishes. In the Mass we are fed with the body and blood of Christ. At the end of Mass we are told to “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!” The love of God which has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5) is not something we can keep to ourselves—it must be shared with others. |
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