Reflection
Blessings from St. John Lateran Upon Us
There is an inscription in the Cathedral Church of Rome that says, “The Mother Church and Head of all the Churches of the City and of the World.” We celebrate today the anniversary of that church, dedicated by Pope Sylvester I in 324, the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Feasts speak to us of sacred time; Churches are sacred geography. Both help us as we live our daily lives knowing that our world is sacred.
We are sacramental people, making holy and being made holy.
Our readings (1Cor. 3:9-11,16-17 and John 2:13-22), tell us that we are God’s temple, the Holy Spirit dwelling within us; Jesus, too is the temple, destroyed and raised up again. Whatever prayer Pope Sylvester offered when he blessed the Basilica of St. John over 1700 years ago, that prayer is for us today.
We live our spiritual lives at home in our material world. Imagine the history that the Mother Church of the world has seen…built on the ground of the martyrs, she saw the spread of belief in Christ around her, in variety, with growing pains and differences. Armies and war would become allies of faith! Abuses, yes, many, and with them witnesses of what was good and right who are martyrs for justice. Empires have come and gone, new philosophies have arisen, new eras full of wonder stand with such horrors of evil. And we find ourselves where we are today, our moment, a Church that in one lifetime has changed enormously. We can see our glass full – the Vatican Council stands out, the presence of the Holy Spirit, our gifts of Hope always. But there is also a glass that stands next to us, a glass that seems much larger, and it is empty.
What does the Basilica of John Lateran want to tell us? (She quotes some spiritual ideals from Bernadette Gasslein, Canadian theologian, and editor of Worship Journal). Our Basilica first points to the most venerable baptismal font etched with little fishes swimming in the water of God’s life and says: remember your baptism! You participate in the life of the Trinity, you have membership in the mystical body of Christ and share a baptismal priesthood. ‘Big’ gifts not only for an infant but for each of us! We are led to the Eucharist. The Holy Spirit calling down upon the bread and the wine, giving us now the body and blood of Christ. And the Spirit transforms us into sharers of the Eucharist, so as we are sent forth, we go not with gratitude that Mass is over (!) but with the responsibility that flows from being transformed.
As sacramental people, we step into today’s world, not letting our individual faith become separated from the corporate, faith-filled action of the common good. Sacramental vision tears down walls of division.
