Ezekiel 47:1-12; Psalm 46 The waters if the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the most high; 1 corinthians 3:9-17; John 2:13-22Today we celebrate the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica.
As we commemorate this dedication we also pause to remember how far we, as Christians, have come.
For the first 300 years of Christianity, Christians were considered enemies of the state; we were renegades, rebels and outlaws. We were not allowed to practice our faith in the public square. So we went around meeting behind closed doors, seeking hiding places where could whisper our praise to God in muffled sounds.
Then something happened.
Constantine, the emperor of the Roman Empire, had a vision. As he was going off to battle, the cross appeared to him in the sky and he was told that by this sign he would conqueror.
So he marked the armor of his soldiers and horses with the sign of the cross and went into battle and returned victorious.
In honor to the God of the cross, he declared Christianity to be no longer persecuted by the state, to be now one of the legitimate forms of worship in the public sphere. In 313, Christians were free to come from behind the close doors and step out into the open; Christians were allowed to raise their voice in praise where once they were only allowed to whisper softly so as to be undetected.
They could now publicly proclaim the good news.
In 318, the Basilica of St. John Lateran was dedicated.
Today if you got o Rome, you see the Basilica rise high above the city. The facade looms large against the skyline. There on top of the world is a statue of Jesus with the cross in one hand and the other hand pointing out to the world, surrounded by the statues of the apostles.
As look up and ponder the majesty of the Basilica, the majesty of the gesture of Christ, the words of the great commission come to mind, "go out into the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them all I have commanded you, and behold I will be with you always until the end of the age."
Strength rises as we recall that we are never alone and Christ ever abiding presence walks before us converting the nations with His cross held high.
The Basilica of St, John Lateran is called the "Omnium urbis et orbis Ecclesiarum mater et caput: the Church of Rome and the World."
What is striking about the cathedral are actually two doors. The first set of doors as walk into the Basilica are the original doors of the Senate House of Rome. As you enter the Basilica you enter through the gates of the Senate which give way to the triumph of the cross.
The second door is a door with the image of the Blessed Mother holding the child Jesus imposed on top of the Crucifixion of Christ with the latin inscription: Christus Heri, Hodie, Semper: Christ: yesterday, today, forever."
May this celebration strengthen us in our resolve to live boldly and publicly our faith. May it encourage us to refuse to be silent and voice our faith seeking to transform society.
It is by the cross we shall conqueror.
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