Word to the Wise
Sunday, November 9, 2025 - Nov. 9 - The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
[Ezek 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22]You are God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it....Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. [1 Corinthians]
In the 4th century, the emperor Constantine built a basilica church on land that had belonged to the Laterani family. It has survived earthquakes, invasions, plagues, persecutions, etc. over the centuries. It was originally dedicated to St. John the Baptist but then was re-dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. Its sheer endurance has given it a special significance along with the fact that it is the official cathedral of the Bishop of Rome - namely Pope Leo XIV!
This endurance speaks to the endurance of the church, the People of God, through the centuries to the present day. But it is more than just stubborn historical endurance, it speaks to the incarnate reality of the faith - the people who make up the Church, as St. Paul speaks in the second scripture today. An empty church is not the Church. It is simply a building, no matter how magnificent or historically significant it may be. The People of God, under the leadership of the successor of St. Peter, continue to witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit as guide and teacher. The Lateran basilica may not get all the attention that St. Peter's does, given the location of the latter, but its significance is greater. That is why this anniversary, when it occurs on a Sunday, replaces the usual scriptures assigned for this day. AMEN