When certain feast days fall on a Sunday in Ordinary Time, the prayers and readings for that Solemnity are used rather than the Ordinary Time Sunday. This practice will happen this Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. We will mark the anniversary of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. It was the first Basilica built in Rome after the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313. The dedication was celebrated by Pope Sylvester I on Nov. 9, 324.
Why would the feast of this one church in Rome be celebrated by all Catholics worldwide? The Lateran Cathedral is considered to be the Pope’s Cathedral and has been titled the “mother and head of all churches of Rome and the world.” It was once the residence of many Popes. Five ecumenical councils have been held there. This feast honors our membership in the universal Church and our unity with the current Pope, Pope Leo XIV. I found this quotation while researching the feast: “Today’s feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth” (cf. John 4: 23–24). From Pope Benedict XVI, Nov 9, 2008.
The readings for today express our attitude toward sacred places. Ezekiel 47:1-2,8-9,12 reveals the Temple of God as a source of flowing waters that heal and give us food. The antiphon of Psalm 46 is, “The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High!” The Second Reading, 1 Cor 3:9-11,16-17 declares that we are God’s building, we are the Temple of God. We are holy. The Gospel Acclamation is, “I have chosen and consecrated this house, says the Lord, that my name may be there forever.” The Gospel, John 2:13-22 is the story of Jesus driving the money changers out of the Temple area. Also, Jesus talks about the temple of his Body which will be raised up on the third day. Try to take some reflection time with these readings before Mass.
We also might consider today the role of sacred spaces in our lives. What makes a place sacred to you? Do you hold sacred places that are not churches? Where are the sacred places in your town, in the United States, in the world? What has made them sacred? How do we show respect for places we revere?
Also, today, reflect on your own parish church. What do you know about the foundation of your parish, the building of the church, and the history that followed? See if you can research the history. Has the church ever been rebuilt? Suffered from a fire? Moved to another location? Merged with other parishes? Does it have an ethnic heritage? What ministries or outreach has been the core of your parish? Reflect on the part you play in the parish’s current story.
