Ordinary Time: November 9th

Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica

MASS READINGS

November 09, 2016 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

O God, who from living and chosen stones prepare an eternal dwelling for your majesty, increase in your Church the spirit of grace you have bestowed, so that by new growth your faithful people may build up the heavenly Jerusalem. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Recipes (6)

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Activities (5)

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Prayers (6)

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory
Little Litany of the Holy Souls
Prayer for Pope Francis
Prayer for Troops
Prayer for a Happy Death
Daily Acceptance of Death
Old Calendar: Dedication of the Archbasilica of Our Holy Savior; St. Theodore, martyr ; Other Titles: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica; Dedication of St. John Lateran
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the oldest and highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome, not St. Peter's Basilica as so many mistakenly believe. The Basilica is also called the Church of Holy Savior or the Church of St. John Baptist. In ancient Rome this was the church where everyone was baptized. It the oldest church in the West, built in the time of Constantine and was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324. This feast became a universal celebration in honor of the archbasilica, the ecclesiastical mother church, called "the mother and mistress of all churches of Rome and the world" (omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput), as a sign of love for and union with the See of Peter.
According to the 1962 Missal of St. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the commemoration of St. Theodore, a Christian soldier and martyr of Asia Minor.

The Temple of Stones is a Symbol of the Living Church
Today the liturgy celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, called “mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.” In fact, this basilica was the first to be built after Emperor Constantine’s edict, in 313, granted Christians freedom to practice their religion.
The emperor himself gave Pope Miltiades the ancient palace of the Laterani family, and the basilica, the baptistery, and the patriarchate, that is, the Bishop of Rome’s residence — where the Popes lived until the Avignon period — were all built there. The basilica’s dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester around 324 and was named Most Holy Savior; only after the 6th century were the names of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist added, and now is typically denominated by these latter.
Initially the observance of this feast was confined to the city of Rome; then, beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of the Roman rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, “presides in charity” over the whole Catholic communion (Letter to the Romans, 1:1).
On this solemnity the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a “spiritual edifice,” built by God with “living stones,” namely, Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the “cornerstone” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Ephesians 2:20-22). “Brothers, you are God’s building,” St. Paul wrote, and added: “holy is God’s temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).
The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human beings, limited and sinful, to convert to form a “cosmos,” a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints. This happens in a culminating way in the Eucharistic liturgy, in which the “ecclesia,” that is, the community of the baptized, come together in a unified way to listen to the Word of God and nourish themselves with the Body and Blood of Christ. From these two tables the Church of living stones is built up in truth and charity and is internally formed by the Holy Spirit transforming herself into what she receives, conforming herself more and more to the Lord Jesus Christ. She herself, if she lives in sincere and fraternal unity, in this way becomes the spiritual sacrifice pleasing to God.
Dear friends, today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.
— Benedict XVI, Angelus Address, November 9, 2008
Things to Do:
- Learn more about St. John Lateran;
- This basilica represents the place of baptism, so it would be a good time to renew your baptismal promises;
- It also represents heaven, so we can meditate on the joys of heaven and God's generosity in giving us sufficient graces to be saved;
- Since St. John Lateran is the Pope's church, say a prayer for our Holy Father;
- From the Catholic Culture Library: Mother Church of the World.
St. Theodore
St. Theodore was a Christian soldier who set on fire the temple of the mother-goddess Cybele at Amasea (303 A.D.). The prefect of the legion promised mercy if he repented his act and renounced the Christian faith. Theodore persevered bravely; accordingly he was cast into prison and his flesh ripped by iron hooks so that his ribs were exposed. In the midst of indescribable torture he sang joyfully, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will ever be in my mouth" (Ps. 33).
Praying and singing the glories of Christ, he was burned alive on November 9. A panegyric by St. Gregory of Nyssa on his virtues is extant. Theodore's head has been venerated at Cajeta since the Middle Ages. In ancient times, particularly among the Greeks, this soldier-martyr was honored as patron of armies. During the seventh century a church was dedicated to him in Rome, and his picture appears upon the apse mosaic in the church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian.
Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch
Symbols: Post and iron hooks; white horse; temple of Cybele in flames; crown of thorns; cross; Roman armour; sword.
Things to Do:
- Well might we marvel at the heroic courage St. Theodore showed in the midst of pain. While suffering horribly he sang songs of praise! And we are so frightened by the smallest ache and become uncomfortable at the very mention of suffering! God does not ask such suffering from us as He did from Theodore, yet He asks that we accept some troubles patiently. If we have any discomfort today, let us offer it up without complaint;
- Also, remember our soldiers and say a prayer for them;
- Read what St. Gregory of Nyssa wrote about St. Theodore.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 2:13-22

The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Feast)

Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace. (John 2:16)

What comes to mind when you hear the word “home”? Perhaps you think of rest, security, or comfort, or maybe the freedom to be yourself. So imagine if you came home one day and found it had been turned into a movie theater or a car wash or a bank. Imagine if strangers were coming and going, not to find rest, but to conduct business. It wouldn’t feel like home at all!

This may help us understand what Jesus felt when he confronted the merchants in the Temple. He wasn’t condemning them for doing their job. People needed to buy animals for sacrifice and to change money. He just didn’t want them doing it in the Temple. This was his Father’s house, and it was his home too.

We, too, are God’s temples, and our hearts have been made to find their deepest happiness in him alone (1 Corinthians 3:16). You could say that our hearts have been made to be at home with God. When we let other concerns or occupations crowd out the Lord, we lose the security and freedom that come from being with him. But when we put God first, we find the peace we long for. We are ruled by the Holy Spirit instead of by temptations, our emotions, or whatever life is throwing at us.

Of course, being God’s temple doesn’t mean that we can’t find joy in the natural world. Think of the joy of your wedding day or the birth of a child, or think of the satisfaction you feel in a job well done. Those are gifts and blessings, given by a loving Father, and he delights in seeing us receive them happily.

It’s a good thing we have the Holy Spirit to help us establish the right priorities! When we need some “housecleaning,” we can be sure that the Spirit won’t use a whip, as Jesus did with the money changers. Instead, he will speak gently to our consciences—insistently, if necessary, but always gently.

So preserve your time with the Lord in prayer. Treasure it, and be vigilant in guarding it. It’s in prayer, most of all, that we can keep our “temple” clean and prevent it from getting overrun.

“Father, thank you for making me your temple. Help me to put you first so that I can find my home in you.”