St. Mary Parish, Manchester at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - Homily for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome (Nov. 9, 2008)

Today we have an unusual occurrence in the liturgical calendar. The Church has forgone the celebration of the Mass for the Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time and replaced it with a feast, the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. In the reform of the sacred liturgy called for by the Second Vatican Council the Council Fathers desired to reinstate the primacy of Sunday they did this by reforming the liturgical calendar and by legislating that when a saint’s memorial fell on a Sunday it would not be liturgically observed that year.

But they made a few exceptions to the Sunday rule and that is in the case of when a feast day would fall on a Sunday; in this case it was to be observed by the Church and celebrated in her sacred liturgy. The reason being that the designated feast held special significance for the universal Church. Other feast days that the universal Church observes when they fall on a Sunday are: August 6^th the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and September 14^th the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Today’s feast is unusual in that it celebrates the dedication of a church building in Rome. The date of the consecration of the Lateran Basilica in Rome is November 9^th and we observe it today because of its universal significance.

So what is this church that has this unusual title and what is its significance for us? There are historical and ecclesial reasons why this church is significant. It was the first public church built after the persecution of Christians ended in the Roman Empire in the fourth century. The first church structure was built by the Emperor Constantine on land donated by the Laterani family. This is why the name Lateran would eventually find its way into the title of this church. Pope St. Sylvester on November 9, 324, consecrated it: thus the significance of the date of November 9^th. It became the Cathedral Church of Rome and was originally was named after Christ our Savior.

In the twelfth century it was given as its second title St. John the Baptist whose name was also that of the ancient baptistery connected with the church; hence the present name of the basilica, St. John Lateran. The first basilica having been destroyed, it was rebuilt in the tenth century by Pope Sergius III and consecrated by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. It is here in the adjoining palace that the popes resided until the 15^th century. Five ecumenical councils were held here.

St. John Lateran is the Cathedral Church of Rome and has been so since 324. This basilica is where the chair of the pope, which is the symbol of his authority, resides. This like all cathedral churches is the sign of unity and the place where the clergy and laity of the local diocesan church gather united under their bishop to celebrate significant events in the life of the church within the context of the Holy Eucharist.

Each diocese of the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the date of the consecration of its own cathedral church, and within the local cathedral structure it is observed as a solemnity. Outside its walls it is observed as a feast and to be celebrated in each parish church of the local diocese, thus making visible the unity that the diocesan church enjoys its local shepherd. The date of the consecration of the Cathedral Church of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Lansing is December 9^th.

But since the Holy Father is not only the Bishop of Rome but also the shepherd of the universal church. His cathedral is our cathedral and we are all under the jurisdiction of his authority. All Roman Catholic Cathedrals find their source of unity in the Cathedral Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. This is why the feast of the dedication of this church is extended to the universal church and why it takes precedence this year over the celebration of the Thirty Second Sunday of the year. This feast also serves as a reminder that Christ does not save us separately from each other; he has come to form a people, a community of persons, in communion with him and among themselves.

Some might find it odd that Catholic’s celebrate the anniversaries of the dedication of their church buildings. But it is directly related to how we view the Church. St. Paul reminds us in the second reading that we are God’s building built on the foundation, which is Christ. In baptism we were formed into a family and a family is not a family without a home. So it is with the members of the Church, we are not a family unless we have a home in which we may gather.

Our church structures are the sacred places where we gather as the redeemed family of God. Our churches are built to glorify the One True and Eternal God who is the Father of this redeemed family. Our churches are filled with the Eucharistic Presence of our Savior and our brother Jesus Christ. So Catholic Church buildings are important and they play a significant part in our faith.

May the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome which we celebrate with great joy today remind us that each and everyone of us has been chosen by God and consecrated in the sacred waters of baptism. It is through holy baptism that we become living stones that form the visible structure of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ. May we draw others into the beauty of salvation through our unity in Christ as members of his redeemed family.

Amen.