FEAST OF THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA: “YOU ARE GOD’S BUILDING” (1 Cor. 3:9)

Personal Witness: Encountering the Lateran Basilica

Earlier this year, I was in Rome for the funeral rites of Pope Francis, and one of the profound moments during that pilgrimage was visiting the Lateran Basilica—the Mother and Head of all churches in the world. I was struck by its beauty, its history, and its sacred atmosphere. Today’s feast is a reminder that the Church is not just a building—it’s us. The Lateran Basilica is the Mother Church because it symbolizes the unity and sanctity of all churches and all believers. It depicts God's grace giving us life and sustaining us through the Church.

What strikes even more is why the Church marks this feast so prominently. This is not just a celebration of a building. It’s a reminder that we are living temples of God, and that God has chosen to dwell in us—individually and as a community. In the spirit of Saint Paul, you—your very self—are God’s chosen temple.

From the Temple Flows Life: God’s Sanctuary Nourishes the World

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel describes a powerful vision: water flowing from the temple, giving life to trees and healing the land. This is a poetic and prophetic image of God’s Spirit flowing from the Church, bringing grace, healing, and renewal to a wounded world.

Just as water nourishes the earth, God’s presence within the temple—within us—is meant to nourish, cleanse, and bring life to others. We are reminded of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well during which Jesus said to her, “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (Jn. 4:14). The church’s presence communicates this encounter with living water. Wherever the Spirit flows, transformation happens.

You Are God’s Building: Reclaiming Our Dignity

St. Paul tells the Corinthians: “You are God’s building… the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you.” These are radical affirmations of human dignity, not mere metaphors.

I’m reminded of Leah Darrow’s reflection: “I made you for more.” When we forget who we are and settle for less—when we let sin, shame, or the culture define us—we shortchange our divine identity. The Imago Dei—the image of God—is etched into each of us. Through this feast, we are reminded that our bodies, our lives, and our communities are sacred ground.

Honoring the Temple: Mental, Spiritual, and Physical Well-being

So how do we care for this temple?

Sometimes, as human beings, we experience threats from within: anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma. We suffer the effects of sin. These are the “buyers and sellers” of the soul—false comforts and distractions that invade sacred space. As Leah Darrow maintained, they cause us to forget who we are. They expose us to feelings of unworthiness and brokenness.

But God never abandons His temple. God doesn’t just visit the temple—He dwells there.

Whipping the Buyers and Sellers: Cleansing the Heart

Jesus’ action in the Gospel speaks volumes. Jesus makes a whip to drive out the money changers from the temple. He does this out of zeal for what is sacred: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” If we assert that we are God’s temple, it becomes important to understand that Jesus has special zeal for us.

That same zeal burns in His heart for each one of us. When we allow sin, shame, or addiction to take up space in our temple, Jesus comes—not to condemn—but to restore the holiness, to renew the sacredness of His temple.

Sometimes, healing begins with that divine “whip”:

• The courage to walk away from sin

• The confidence to return to the sacraments

• The discipline to seek therapy or accountability

• The need for prayer and spiritual direction

The Temple Will Rise Again: Hope in Suffering

Jesus tells the people, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was speaking of His body, and ultimately, His resurrected body. This is the Christian hope: even when the temple is torn down by suffering, betrayal, sin, or illness, it will rise again. Your story is not over. Your temple is still sacred. Cherishing it and working to preserve it comes through openness to God’s grace. God makes us new, sometimes through suffering, thereby whipping off the mess that denigrates our dignity. Christ's resurrection assures us that our bodies and souls matter—forever.

Let’s reclaim that dignity. Let’s renew that temple. And let’s let the Spirit flow again.

Readings: 1^st- Ezk, 47:1–2, 8–9, 12; 2^nd- 1 Cor. 3:9–11, 16–17; Gospel- John 2:13–22

Reflection Questions

1. What are the “buyers and sellers” in my life that need to be driven out so I can reclaim my spiritual dignity?

2. How do I treat my body and soul as a temple of God—do I nourish them with prayer, relationships, and virtue?

3. Where do I need Jesus to enter with zeal and cleanse the parts of my heart I’ve allowed to be compromised?