“You are God’s temple, and the Spirit of God dwells in you.” (1 Cor 3:16)
This Sunday, we celebrate a special feast that may seem unusual at first — the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. Why do we celebrate a church building thousands of miles away?
The Lateran Basilica is no ordinary church. It is the cathedral of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and therefore the mother and head of all churches in the world. Built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, it was the first public Christian church ever constructed after centuries of persecution. For over a thousand years, it was the residence of the popes. When we celebrate its dedication, we celebrate our unity as one Catholic family, built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
But this feast is not only about bricks and mortar. It reminds us that each of us is a living temple of God. St. Paul tells us, “You are God’s building… you are the temple of God.” Through baptism, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. God’s presence is no longer confined to a building, but lives in human hearts made holy by His grace.
This truth gives great dignity to every person. Our bodies are sacred, not objects to be used or abused. We must respect and care for them — in ourselves and in others — from the unborn child to the frail elderly. Every human life is a dwelling place of God.
In the Gospel, Jesus cleanses the temple in Jerusalem, driving out the merchants who had turned it into a marketplace. His zeal reminds us to look within: have we allowed the temple of our hearts to become cluttered with selfishness or sin? Christ longs to purify us, to restore us as true houses of prayer and love.
As we honor the Lateran Basilica, let us also renew our commitment to build up the living Church — here at St. Mary’s and in our families and communities. May our parish be a place where God’s presence truly dwells and may each of us be a temple through which His love flows into the world.
