Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple took place in the Court of Gentiles in the Temple of Jerusalem. There, sellers of sacrificial animals and money changers had set up shop and doing business, thereby preventing people from giving due worship to God. Jesus drove them all out of the temple area, and in doing so, made a scene. Quoting Isaiah 56:7, Jesus said to them, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:17) The Temple was called “a house of prayer for all the nations” because non-Jews worshipped at the Jewish temple. Although you didn’t have to be a Jew to worship at the Temple, the Gentiles were restricted to the Court of Gentiles.
The Jews challenged Jesus, saying, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:18-19) Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple is not so much about ridding the old Temple of greed and corruption, but it is more about the foreshadowing of the destruction of the old Temple, which will be replaced by the new Temple of Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church.
What is the connection between Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and the feast day of the Lateran Basilica? The central theme of the Feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica is the foreshadowing of the new Temple of Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church; the feast day celebrates the dedication of the oldest church in the West in 324AD, which was perceived then, and which is perceived now, as the new Temple built upon Christ. Can you just imagine how the 4th century Christians felt as Pope Sylvester I dedicated the church? That was also about the time when Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. Christians were finally free to practice the faith without fear of persecution, and now they have a church.
What is the Lateran Basilica? The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome, the bishop of which is the Pope. The Lateran Basilica is considered the “mother” of all churches; it was first dedicated to Christ the Savior, and later on was also dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in the 10th and 12th centuries respectively. The basilica holds many relics, including the altar where St. Peter was believed to have celebrated Mass, fragments of the skull of St. Peter and St. Paul, and a fragment of the table from the Last Supper.
Why is it called the Lateran Basilica? The name “Lateran” refers to the family who once owned the land where the basilica was built. It is called the Lateran Basilica because it was built on property that belonged to the Laterani family (a noble Roman family). The official name is the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran.
What is the significance of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica? The dedication of the Lateran Basilica is significant because it is more than just the anniversary of the founding of the church; more importantly, it is an enduring symbol of the new Temple of Christ’s Body, the Church. The feast day reminds us that wherever we may be in the world, we are all part of the universal Church. Inasmuch as historical churches like the Lateran Basilica enable us to trace the roots of our Catholic faith, it also rouses us to give thanks to God for our own local parish churches.
Ponder the importance of a church building. A church building is sacred because it is a place which is dedicated to the worship of God. A church building serves as the official place for administering the sacraments, teaching and learning the faith, and as a house of prayer for the faithful. A church building is the designated gathering place of each and every community, it serves as a welcome center for those who do not know and want to know the faith. In times of celebration, people come and gather to worship God. Here we celebrate the Eucharist, in which we listen to the word of God and nourish ourselves with the Body and Blood of Christ. And in doing so, conform ourselves more and more to the true Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. In times of tribulation, people come and gather for unity, strength, consolation and spiritual and material support. The faithful in each parish had been given the precious inheritance of its parish church. We all have the sacred duty to take special care of it.