Reflection 32nd Sunday in O.T., Dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica
A Glimpse of Knowledge in the Divine Presence, The First Step to Adoration…
St. John Lateran Basilica is the first among all the churches in the Catholic Church, when the Roman Empire began to tolerate Christianity. It also holds the title of the mother of all churches. It is also the seat or cathedral of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. It is also the Primatial Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist. Thus, having the title of the Primatial Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior, it has a higher precedence than the Sundays of Ordinary Time, in which we have to celebrate the feast of its dedication even if it falls on a Sunday.
The churches in the Roman Catholic Church are considered as a dwelling place of God. This belief is a tradition that we got from the Jewish religion. The Jewish faith believes in the “Shekinah”, a Hebrew word that means divine presence. In the scriptures, the divine presence is manifested in different ways, like the burning bush, pillar of cloud, etc. The most tangible presence of God among the Jewish people was the tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was placed. Thus, Jesus was really angry when the people turned the temple into a marketplace because it is the house of His Father.
But the new covenant is our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, we place the consecrated host in the tabernacle in all the churches in the Roman Catholic Church because we believe that Jesus’ presence remains in the unconsumed sacred bread, which we primarily use for the communion of those who are sick and unable to attend the Sunday mass. However, over the years, the Church developed a devotion to adoring Jesus Christ present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. So, as St. Peter Julian Eymard mentioned to his fellow priests and brothers in the order that he founded, “Jesus is there (in the Most Blessed Sacrament), everybody to Him!”
Have a blessed week!
Fr. Leo Ayuyao, SSS
