Feast of Dedication of Lateran Basilica Rome John 2,13-22

The history of the Lateran Basilica is linked to many moving events. The basilica was built on the site where the Lateran Palace once stood. Pope Silvester I solemnly consecrated it on November 9, 324. Charlemagne was baptized there in 774. It was here that Pope Innocent III approved the rules of St. Francis of Assisi. The first Jubilee Year was proclaimed there. Five ecumenical councils were held in this basilica. This basilica was destroyed several times but was always rebuilt. The last time a Sicilian mafia bomb damaged it was in 1993, shortly before Pope John Paul II called for the conversion of those who had the deaths of many people on their conscience. Every pope enters this basilica as a Roman bishop, the shepherd of the universal Church. The consecration of the Lateran Basilica in the fourth century also meant religious freedom. The Christian communities that met in the catacombs for the Eucharist were now able to celebrate their faith in the basilica.
But I don’t just want to draw your attention to the historical facts. On this day, Catholics show communion and unity with the Holy Father. We also have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of the Church. In the document Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council also referred to the family as a small church, a domestic church, when it is gathered in the name of Jesus. But why is it so essential for us Christians to go to church? Indeed, we could also worship God at home. The answer is that Jesus came into the world to redeem all people and not each individual separately. He came into the world to form a community of believers united with him. We can call the church the “house of God among men.” The church is the place of God’s presence. It doesn’t matter whether the church building is Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, or modern in style. The important thing is that people gather there who are called by Jesus. The Latin name for the church is “Ecclesia,” and the Greek “Ek-kaleo,” which means “to call together, to invite.” The church is, therefore, the place where those who are invited in Jesus’ name gather. What a house is for the family; the church is for the family of God. A person’s life is connected to the church.
A professor writes beautifully: “I was born and brought into the church. Here, I became a child of God through baptism. Here, I received my first Holy Communion, and through the sacrament of Confirmation, I became a mature Christian. This is where my sins are forgiven. This is where my parents sealed their covenant in the sacrament of marriage. I also celebrated my first communion here. And I will say goodbye to this church on my last journey into eternity.
What does the church mean to us? For some, it hardly means anything anymore, and they neglect Sunday Holy Mass. This is an unfortunate phenomenon. Quite a few people say that they go out into nature to pray. But there are other substitutes for Holy Mass. These people have forgotten the mission of Jesus, who wants us Christians to meet together to pray and express our praise to God. Of course, we can also pray privately, but we must not forget the community of believers in the church. In addition, the word of God is also proclaimed to us in church and interpreted in the sermon. We don’t hear that in nature.
In his Confessions, St. Augustine tells of a philosopher who was a pagan. However, he became interested in Christianity, and when he was convinced of the truth of Christ’s teachings, he said to a priest: “I am almost a Christian!” The priest said: “I don’t believe you because I’ve never seen you in church.” The philosopher asked in amazement: “Do the church walls make people Christians?” Then, one day, he read the following in the Bible in the Gospel of Luke: “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and the majesty of the Father and the holy angels.” Now he realized that he was ashamed because what would his colleagues say if he went to church? So he returned to the priest and said to him: “I will go to church from now on because I want to become a Christian.” By going to church, you are openly professing your faith.
A church is a house of God because God, who became man, really dwells in the church. Many people found their faith in the church. There was also a writer who always visited Notre Dame Cathedral when he was in Paris. He once said: “When I enter the cathedral, I feel that faith enters me.” I want to conclude with a beautiful psalm of the joy of entering a church: “How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord of hosts. My soul distorts with longing for the temple of the Lord. My heart and my body rejoice in him, the living God.” May these words accompany us when we go to church!