Dear Parishioners,

Today (November 9) we commemorate the dedication of one of the most privileged church buildings of Christendom -- the church of St. John Lateran. This church is one of the four major basilicas in the city of Rome and has the distinction of being the pope’s cathedral. The other three basilicas are: St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls (in which the mortal remains of St. Paul the Apostle are entombed) and St. Peter in Vatican City (in which the mortal remains of St. Peter the Apostle are entombed). Although St. John Lateran is the official cathedral of the pope who is called “the bishop of Rome,” the most prominent liturgical celebrations of the Roman Catholic Church are celebrated at St. Peter’s in Vatican City.

St. John Lateran takes its name from the wealthy Lateran family that donated the land on which this church was built by the Emperor
Constantine in 324 AD. Constantine was the Roman emperor who
legalized Christianity in 313 in thanksgiving for a battle victory which he attributed to Jesus Christ. This was the first recognized public place of Christian worship and was originally dedicated to Jesus Christ the
Redeemer. In the tenth century it was also dedicated to St. John the Baptist and to St. John the Apostle. Hereafter it was known as St. John of the Lateran. Across the front of the basilica is the Latin inscription that reads; This is the mother and head of all the churches in the whole world. 

On one level, today’s feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran is a recognition of the universal nature of Catholicism presided over by the successor of St. Peter, the pope. On another level, this feast celebrates the incarnational character of our Catholic faith, for since Christ, the Word of God, became flesh and made his home among us, our created world is forever holy. This is why the most natural “stuff” of creation is given such prominence in our worship -- water, wine, oil, fire, bread, incense, fabric, human flesh. All these fruits of the earth have been endowed by the Creator with a capacity to reveal God’s grace. This is why buildings are integral to our liturgical life – they give visible
expression to our most fundamental theological beliefs. By means of brick and mortar, wood and tile, glass and stone, these materials become vehicles by which we proclaim the Christian story.

But while we shape these places in which we worship, these places also shape those who gather in them. We build our buildings and then our buildings build us. It is no accident that the very name we have given to these buildings, i.e., “church” was first used to designate the baptized people who prayed in them. This is expressed most eloquently in the rite for dedication a church. This lengthy but beautiful ritual, presided over by a bishop, incorporates all the elements found in the baptismal liturgy; the room is sprinkled with Holy Water, the walls and altar are anointed with Sacred Chrism, the altar is covered with a white garment, the candles are lit, and the Eucharist is celebrated for the first time after which, the Blessed Sacrament is solemnly processed to the tabernacle. Among the ceremonies of the Catholic Church, the Dedication of a Church is one of its most resplendent.

The following text is an excerpt from “The Prayer of
Consecration” taken from this Dedication Rite.

Father in heaven
source of holiness and true purpose,
it is right that we praise and glorify your name.

For today we come before you
to dedicate to your lasting service
this house of prayer, this temple of worship,
this home in which we are nourished by your word and your sacraments.

Here is reflected the mystery of the Church.

The Church is fruitful,
made holy by the blood of Christ:
a bride made radiant with his glory,
a virgin splendid in the wholeness of her faith,
a mother blessed through the power of the Spirit.

The church is holy,
your chosen vineyard;
its branches envelop the world,
its tendrils, carried on the tree of the cross,
reach up to the kingdom of heaven.

The church is favored,
the dwelling place of God on earth:
a temple built of living stones,
founded on the apostles
with Jesus Christ its cornerstone.

The Church is exalted,
a city set on a mountain:
a beacon to the whole word,
bright with the glory of the Lamb,
and echoing the prayers of her saints.

Lord,
send your Spirit from heaven
to make this church an ever-holy place,
and this altar a ready table for the sacrifice of Christ.

Here may the waters of baptism
overwhelm the shame of sin;
here may your people die to sin
and live again through grace as your children.

Here may your children,
gathered around your altar,
celebrate the memorial of the Paschal Lamb,
and be fed at the table 
of Christ’s word and Christ’s Body.

Here may prayer, the Church’s banquet,
resound through heaven and earth
as a plea for the world’s salvation.

Here may the poor find justice,
the victims of oppression, true freedom.

From here may the whole world
clothed in the dignity of the children of God,
enter with gladness your city of peace.

May today’s celebration deepen our appreciation for all our church buildings and especially for our Catholic faith founded by Jesus Christ on the apostle Peter.

 

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