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Gospel: John 2: 13-22
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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The skyline of major cites is often defined by structures of particular importance. For example, New York City is known for the Freedom Tower. Seattle for the Space Needle. Paris for the Eiffel Tower. And Rome for Saint Peter’s.
While St. Peter’s is an impressive church and a beautiful testament to our Catholic faith – it’s literally built upon the bones of Saint Peter himself – the oldest and most important church in Rome is not Saint Peter’s…
It’s the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, which is the feast we celebrate today.
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Etched into the very façade of the church’s entrance are the words: “The mother and head of all the churches and of the city and of the world.”
Saint John Lateran is the oldest church in the Western world. It was the primary residence of the pope until the Middle Ages. And it remains the official church – the cathedra – of the pope, the Bishop of Rome (not Saint Peter’s as is commonly assumed).
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Today’s feast not only recalls the importance of that church; it also reminds every Catholic of the importance of having their own church to call home.
In that sense, today we also celebrate our parish, the primary place where we encounter God.
For many, this is where their Christian journey began in baptism. It’s where our sins are forgiven. It’s where children receive their First Holy Communion. Where youngsters are Confirmed.
It’s where couples exchange their vows. It’s where we carol at Christmas and cry at funerals. It’s where we gather and worship as one body every Sunday. It’s where we celebrate many of life’s significant milestones.
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While Saint John Lateran is the oldest church – our Mother Church – Saint Pius X is a scaled-down version of it. The light shines just as bright from our cupola at night; it’s our little heavenly city perched on a hill, reminding us that we are Catholic – and grateful for it.
If cities are defined by their skyline – and particular monuments within it – our town is, in many ways, defined by this church.
This is a day of gratitude – not only for our parish church, but even more for the people who call it home. May God bless us all. Happy feast!
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Image credits: (1) Newsweek (2) Saint John Lateran, Wikipedia (3) St. Pius X, YouTube