We take a break from our regularly scheduled Sunday readings to celebrate the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. While it may seem odd to do so in a month dedicated to the Four Last Things, it is apropos in many ways. This feast celebrates a historic moment, Christian unity, and that our churches are where we worship God.
First, this feast commemorates a historical moment. The first Christians did not enjoy the same freedoms we do today. They could not freely walk to a church, go to Mass, and live in society openly as a Christian. Rather, the first Christians faced various persecutions all the way until the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D. Once the Emperor Constantine declared that Christians could practice openly in 313 A.D., he donated the Lateran Palace to Pope Miltiades. Then, Pope Miltiades began constructing the first basilica in Rome. Pope Sylvester eventually dedicated it in the year 324 A.D., calling it the “House of God,” designating it to Christ the savior. The Lateran Basilica went through a few name changes, until its present full name of the Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, also called St. John Lateran, or Lateran Basilica for short. So, practically, we celebrate the construction of the first church in the world. But the celebration doesn’t stop there.
This feast also celebrates our union with the universal Church. The Lateran Basilica is properly the pope’s cathedral. We might understand this better at the local level of a diocese. In a diocese, the cathedral church is the “Mother Church” of the diocese because it is from the cathedral that the bishops lead their dioceses and give direction and unity to the various parishes. At this much larger scale, the pope’s cathedral, this Lateran Basilica, unites the entire world in a common set of beliefs, worship and governance. It is from the “Mother Church” of all churches that we enjoy this external expression of worldwide unity in the Church.
Finally, today’s celebration links directly with November’s overall theme. We also celebrate that our churches are where God speaks to us and we return to him with our worship. Ideally, our churches are beautiful structures that paint our landscapes with the beauty of creation and man’s artistic excellence to lift our hearts and minds to God. If you have ever been to the Lateran Basilica, it does just that. Our churches are meant to be a foretaste of heaven on Earth and that is expressed through the architecture, decoration and worship. As we profess every Sunday in the Creed, “through (Jesus) all things were made.” All creation comes to us from Jesus and how do we make a return to him? Through our divine worship at the Mass. So, we also celebrate that our Lord loves us so much that he wanted to give us places in which we can be certain of his presence, where he can feed us with his word and Body, and where we can offer ourselves to him.
Take a moment this week to thank God that he has triumphed through history. He is the true king who will always win. And, if we stay close to him, we, too, can enjoy this victory. We encounter him primarily in our worship at Mass, in the sacraments, in his word, and in the community. May this feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica continue building this unity in Jesus until we arrive safely in heaven.
Father Quail is pastor of Immaculate Conception in Columbia Heights.
Sunday, Nov. 9
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
