Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Tuesday – 09th November 2021 — Gospel: Jn 2,13-22
Church’s Various Images
The Basilica of St.John the Lateran is affectionately called the “mother and head of all the churches of Rome and the world.” Similar to the significance of the Jerusalem temple and its symbolic building for the Jewish people, the Lateran Basilica serves for the universal church. Today the church has been described in various images that exhibit its different characteristics. The church is herald as it is called to proclaim the Good News; it is a sacrament as it is called to be a sign of God’s presence; it is an institution as it organizes to bring Christ to others; and it is a servant as it serves the needs of all people. The church is a mystical body as it is united with Jesus, the Head; it is a building, with Jesus as the foundation and also the cornerstone, and we are the various building blocks of the structure. It is a people of God serving the brothers and sisters of Jesus, our brother and savior.
The temple narrative in John consists of two parts: Jesus’ actions in the Temple and Jesus’ foretelling about the destruction of the Temple. Jesus revolutionary actions reveal to us a very different person of Jesus. Why did Jesus, who was so merciful and compassionate, turned violent in the temple? For the Israelites, the Jerusalem temple symbolized the center of the cosmos, the meeting place between heaven and earth. It is the center to which distant communities would send delegations to offer worship. It was also a potent symbol of God’s victory over His enemies. It was referred to as the ‘House of God or Lord’. The temple was also a symbol of holiness, set apart for spiritual and holy sacrifices. Jesus, being the Son of God, could rightly call this temple, “My Father’s House”. When Jesus saw his Father’s house being defiled, he could no longer tolerate it and he moved into action.
