Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
In today’s second reading, Paul tells the Corinthians that we are God’s building. He uses this metaphor to teach that God’s Spirit is within us and that our foundation should be Jesus Christ. For us today, Paul challenges us to look within ourselves to see what we base our lives on. Is it money? Pride? Fear? Anger? Love? What is the foundation upon which we build our lives? If we are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us as Paul writes, then we must be a place where God’s love can thrive.
The thriving of God’s love can be compared to the imagery in the first reading. Water flows out from the temple giving life to the creatures in the sea, abundant fruit to the trees by the river, and sustenance to all other life that depends on water. God calls us to be like this temple from which God’s love flows out of us, giving life to all we encounter.
Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. It commemorates the dedication of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome (the pope) presides (which is not St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican). To dedicate a building to God like the Lateran Basilica means to reserve a space for God. This feast can help us reflect on how we can be reserved places for God. If God lives in us, then can we see God in other people even when it is difficult? Even in challenging times and situations, we are called to be God’s temple out of which life and abundance flow. Let us not be afraid of that call.
—Sr. Emily Sandoval, FMI