Readings: Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12, Ps. 46:2-3,5-6,8-9, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11:16-17, John 2:13-22
“The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body.” (John 2:20-21)
Today, we observe the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. In 313, when Emperor Constantine officially ended the era of Christian persecution (thereby granting Christians complete freedom to worship God), they eagerly began constructing churches. Among these was Constantine’s magnificent basilica on Rome’s Caelian Hill, built over the ancient Lateran Palace.
Pope Sylvester I dedicated this basilica to Christ the Saviour around 318 or 324 AD. Inside, a chapel dedicated to Saint John the Baptist served as the baptistry. Later, Pope Sergius III also dedicated it to Saint John the Baptist, and in the 12th century, Pope Lucius II added Saint John the Evangelist to its dedication. Today, this Papal Basilica is known as the Basilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, and it is regarded as the mother church of all Christian churches worldwide.
Over the centuries, the church faced several destructions but was always rebuilt. The final reconstruction was carried out under Pope Benedict XIII, and the church was rededicated in 1724. It was during this period that the current feast was established and celebrated throughout the universal Church. Our celebration allows us to reflect on the meaning of “dedication” and its influence on our relationship with God.
1. A Dedicated Church is a Place to Drink from the River of God’s Favour.
Ezekiel describes the house of God as a place where grace, power, life, health, and wealth flow like a river. A dedicated church building is not just any structure; it is a place to meet God, to pray, and to find security and peace. Stepping into a dedicated church, fully aware of God’s presence, is like entering heaven. The beauty of a dedicated church stirs the heart to pray and deepens the believer’s faith.
Let us examine our hearts today: Do I approach God’s temple with faith? When leaving my home this morning, was I excited about going to drink from the river flowing from God’s temple? The Psalmist says: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise the name of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1-4).
The truth is that you cannot receive what you are not expecting. The book of Hebrews says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
2. To say a Church is Dedicated entails that it Now Belongs to God.
To say that a building or any object is dedicated to God is to declare that it can never be used for any purpose other than for God. This is because, through the act of dedication, the presence of God has been invoked upon such. Therefore, anyone who fears God must respect whatever is dedicated (offered) to God.
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say, “You shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” We must avoid turning the house of God into a place of commerce. Jesus angrily drove out those who were desecrating the temple by selling oxen, sheep, and doves and exchanging money.
Once again, let us ask ourselves some pertinent questions. Have I come to God’s house to worship God or to transact business? As a priest, pastor, evangelist or clergyman, am I repeating the errors of the Jews by turning the church into a business empire? Do I make it impossible or difficult for the poor to worship God through the imposition of unnecessary levies, taxes and other forms of exploitation?
Once upon a time, I heard about a particular church where parishioners are asked to pay “consultation fees” before they can see the “Man of God.” Some of us now set different prices for special intentions as if to say, the higher your “seed”, the quicker God grants your prayer. These are the very things Jesus sought to cleanse from the Temple.
3. Like the Church Building, We Are God’s Temples.
When asked what sign he would give to demonstrate his authority to cleanse the temple, he responded: “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it.” Jesus was speaking of the temple of his own body, but the Jews, due to their love of money, did not understand. For them, Jesus had come to spoil their business. They failed to realise that by his action, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of the coming Messiah, which, as Malachi 3:1-4 says,
“Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come, says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.”
While we must respect God’s house, we should never forget that our bodies are also temples of God. Today, we are called to cleanse our minds and hearts. We are called to make a whip of cords and search our lives for any sinful inclination or vice that corrupts the temple of our bodies. This is the point St. Paul emphasises in today’s second reading: “You are God’s building… For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.”
Remember who you are. You are God’s temple – you carry God within you, so flee from the sins of the flesh. As God’s temples that we are, we must respect our neighbours as God’s temples too – learn to see God in your neighbour. No wonder Jesus said: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.” (Matthew 25:45). Show respect to others not on account of their riches but the mere fact that they are God’s temple.
4. As God’s Temples, We Receive Protection from God.
St. Paul also adds: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.” This should bolster our confidence, knowing that God’s armour of protection is always upon us as long as we remain His children. As the Psalmist would say: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).
As God’s temples, we need not fear people because no one can kill us before our time. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28). Remember the words of St. John whose basilica we celebrate today: “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
Let us pray: 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, God, forever and ever. Amen
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - Feast Liturgical Colour: White. Bible Study: Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12, Ps. 46:2-3,5-6,8-9, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11:16-17, John 2:13-22)
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu