Gospel Reflection Nov 9 – Fr. Fox
Sunday, November 9
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
John 2: 13-22
Gospel:
Since the Passover of the Jews was near,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,
as well as the money-changers seated there.
He made a whip out of cords
and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen,
and spilled the coins of the money-changers
and overturned their tables,
and to those who sold doves he said,
“Take these out of here,
and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”
His disciples recalled the words of Scripture,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him,
“What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews said,
“This temple has been under construction for forty-six years,
and you will raise it up in three days?”
But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.
Therefore, when he was raised from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they came to believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.
Gospel Reflection:
Today in the Church, we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. In our gospel for today, we read, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” It is in the spirit of this scriptural prophecy that I believe a spiritual overview of the Lateran Basilica is warranted, as we should all know and love the Church as our spiritual home and feel a deep emotional connection to her.
St. John Lateran was the first of the four major basilicas in Rome. It was constructed in 324 A.D. (St. Peter’s Basilica, 350, St. Paul outside the walls, 390, and St. Mary Major, 432). Since it was the first, it is the cathedral of the Pope. A cathedral is a church that houses the cathedra of the bishop assigned to that diocese. Cathedra is Latin for a seat. In each diocese, a bishop has a cathedral that holds his seat of office. For us in the Columbus diocese, this is St. Joseph’s Cathedral downtown, and the cathedra is visible in the sanctuary, with the bishop’s crest above it. Since the Pope’s first official title is Bishop of Rome, St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Pope.
So what, Father? Why is this important? It is important because we, as the faithful, are all connected within the body of Christ. We are all members of His body. This is where the word “Catholic” originates. Catholic is Greek for Universal. As members of this universal Church, which spans across the globe, we are called to unity under the leadership of the successor of St. Peter, the person Jesus Christ called to lead His church after His ascension. Therefore, we are all members of the Basilica of St. John Lateran because we are all under the jurisdiction of his successor, Pope Leo XIV.
This should instill in us a great sense of honor. We are members of something directly founded by Jesus Christ himself, his Church, which has existed and withstood the test of time, invasion, constant attack, and persecution. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy when Jesus spoke the words, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [the rock], and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
We can see firsthand that Jesus is the Christ because no matter what has tried to destroy His church, it has always failed. The truth of this statement is visible to us all. But we also need to remember when Jesus told us, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” We must, as Catholics, hold on firmly to our universality, and also remember our common brotherhood and sisterhood, that each one of us is so closely united with each other that we truly are one body in Christ. May that sense of unity always prevail over our differences, and may we, as the foundation of Christianity, always have zeal for our most holy Church.
Father Fox