Coffee With God

Reflection: John 2: 13-22

The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of Rome. It was built by Constantine and was for centuries the residence of the Popes. This basilica is a symbol of the unity of all Christian communities with Rome. It is called “mother of all the Churches,” and for this reason, this feast is a reminder that we are all united by the same faith and the one Church, built on and handed down by the Apostles. In recent times the Pope presides on the Holy Thursday Eucharist and the Washing of the Feet in St. John Lateran. The temple in Jerusalem was the central place of the religious life of Israel. It was considered the privileged space of God’s presence on earth and, therefore, the proper place for worship and prayer. The episode in which Jesus expels the vendors and moneychangers from the temple is presented in all the four Gospels. In John’s Gospel, the story becomes a text of self-revelation. It is the first time that Jesus manifests, his divine identity when speaking of the Temple as “my Father’s house.” On the other hand, he takes the image of the sanctuary as his own body. It is another way of indicating that he is the new temple, where the real presence of God is. We celebrate dedication of the Lateran Basilica, mainly because it was the first public building, the first temple where Christians found themselves free, after centuries of persecution. At the site’s entrance, there is an inscription that reads: “Holy Church of Lateran, mother and head of all churches of the city and of the world,” meaning that all temples, where Christians gather throughout the land, had its beginning there. Today’s celebration leads us to think of our own diocese and parish community. Our local churches are united to the “head and mother” Cathedral and this is a feast of the unity of the Church. Today we especially pray for all those who form the life of our dioceses: from the most humble and hidden members to our bishops that from the symbolic place of the cathedrals are the visible foundation of unity. We also pray that our parish communities and our dioceses, with the testimony and actions of all its members, fulfil the mission of the Church to share the joy of the Gospel in the midst of men and women of our time and place. If the temple is a place of encounter with God, God Himself shows us the great place to find him: in the lives of the poor, and the needy around us. This is the temple to be respected; no one can defile this temple with contempt and exploitation. The glory of God is man’s life and the life of man is the ability to see God.