Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica - Water's flowing from temple nourishes & heals

Good morning!  This is normally the 32^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time just before the end of the Church year, but since today is November 9^th, we are celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome.  This is the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.   Most people think of St. Peter’s Basilica as the seat of the Pope since it’s located in the Vatican where he lives, but it is actually St. John Lateran.  St. John Lateran is the oldest Church in Rome dating back to the early 4^th century when the Emperor Constantine issued a decree permitting the practice of the Christian faith.    Before that time there weren’t any public churches.   People came together secretly to worship God and celebrate the Eucharist by hiding in homes and the catacombs.  The church was the assembly of the Christian faithful during these times and the people who did worship together risked their life in doing so.   After Constantine legalized the practice of the Christian religion, he had St. John Lateran built.   From the time it was built through the next 1000 years this was the place where the pope resided.  Since the early 18^th Century the Church has celebrated this feast day celebrating this special church.

Why are we be celebrating a feast for a Church?    St. John Lateran being the oldest and first church building has a special place in the life of the Church. It’s the seat of bishop of Rome and it’s the mother Church of where all of our churches

throughout the world flow.   The image from the prophet Ezekiel of the water flowing from the temple emptying out into the sea and making it fresh is a good image connecting St. John Lateran with all the churches throughout the world. In Ezekiel’s prophecy the water flows upon Arabah, which is the area of the Dead Sea.  The water in the Dead Sea has seven times more salt in it than normal seawater and nothing can live in it.  But in the prophecy water from the temple makes the water of the Dead Sea fresh.   It’s so fresh that it provides trees on the banks of the river to produce fruit for food and leaves for medicine every month of the year.  This water from the temple is a life-giving source that nourishes and heals. The reading from prophet Ezekiel was written at a time when the people of Israel where in exile in Babylon and they were longing for their temple which had been destroyed.   They longed to return to their homeland and the Temple where God dwelled.  The Temple restored and refreshed their soul to be in the dwelling place of God. 

 This prophecy is fulfilled in the rebuilding of the temple, through the coming of Jesus.  Jesus told us the temple would be destroyed and raised up in the days.    Jesus changed the paradigm of the temple as a place in a single location to be in the presence of God to being in a relationship with a person anywhere in the world.   Our church here at Ss. Francis and Clare and in all the Catholic churches throughout the world, provide us with the ability to be in relationship with Christ in Word and Sacrament. 

The image of the fresh water and trees with leaves never fading and bearing fruit reminds me of places I’ve gone on vacation that refresh and restore me.    When we’re worn and weary from work, school, or the trials of life we yearn for a place to restore us from our burdens and refresh us to give a new outlook on things.  So we may seek out an escape to a beach or lake, with the warm sun, and lots of lush plants and trees to relax and refresh.   Anyone need a place like that now?  This does wonders to restore us temporarily, but does it truly restore our soul and allow us to rest in God? Whenever I go on vacation I also always make sure there is a church nearby as well, because my relationship with Jesus is what I need to nourish and heal my soul.  There’s usually a church almost anywhere you can go, made possible through the seat of Catholic Church in Rome, St. John Lateran, The mother church where all others flow from. 

Through the Church, wherever we are at, either at home or traveling, we can get that nourishment and healing every week by worshiping with the Body of Christ. Thank the Lord for the ability to do this every week, or even every day, by having sacred places set aside to worship and participates in the sacraments of the Church.   In our Catholic tradition our churches are sacred spaces set apart from the world, to provide an environment to experience the presence of God.   The nourishment comes from hearing the Word of God to feed our hearts and soul and give us a fresh perspective from the challenges in the world.  It also comes from being fed by the Eucharist, and Christ becoming part of us.  We are healed through the penitential rite in the Mass or if needed through the sacraments of reconciliation or anointing of the sick.    

So today we thank God for the gift of the Church of St. John Lateran Basilica, the seat of the bishop or Rome.  Through this mother Church we have a church that we can be nourished and healed on a weekly basis.  So please make it a priority to be in the presence of Body of Christ through or churches to be restored and refreshed.  May God bless you.