House of God.
November 9 2019: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
A British proverb says, “Burn not your house to fright the
mouse away.” Another proverb adds, “A house that is not seen by the sun, is
visited often by the doctor.”
“Behold God’s dwelling with the human race. He will dwell
with them and they will be his people, and God himself with them will be their
God.” This opening antiphon of our eucharistic celebration gives the true
meaning of what we are feasting on today. We are commemorating with great joy
the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of
Rome. This church is also called the “Mother of all churches”. Beyond the stony
and architectural building of the Lateran constructed by the Emperor
Constantin, back the years 320, what we are celebrating is a God choosing to make
his dwelling in the midst of his people. God is pleased to find a house among
us and in us.
The dwelling of God, today’s readings will all remind us, is
not only that made of stone. Rather, and more, it is about living stones. We are
God’s House. We are his Holy Temple. The Prophet Ezekiel, in the first reading
presents the Temple as a place from where flows the fountain of life, the “Vidi
Aquam” (water of life). Ezekiel says, “I saw water flowing out from beneath the
threshold of the temple toward the east… Wherever the river flows, every sort
of living creature that can multiply shall live.”
For us, Christians, this prophecy of the ‘Vidi Aquam’ finds
its fulfilment in Christ Jesus. He is the true fountain from whom flowed the
stream which gave us life. On the cross, while he was offering himself to God
as ransom for sinners, he let flow from his pierced side blood and water. This
gave life to each of us. We are baptized in the stream that comes from the side
of Christ. Therefore, we are incorporated into him. Trough our baptism, we are
made part of the Body of Christ. This being in Christ has for consequence that
we became God’s children. God indwells us.
Paul, in the second reading, relentlessly, affirms, “You are
God’s building… you are the temple of God.” We all are part of God’s Temple which
has Christ for cornerstone, foundation. The Lord dwelling in us, implies that
our lives should express his presence: spotlessness, purity, holiness. Because,
God, the Most Holy, cannot reside in a dirty environment. We need purification.
Jesus in the Gospel will bring about that purification, by sending out from the
Temple the merchants and traders. The Lord votively stated, “Take these out of
here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace.”
These sayings about we being God’s Temple has many
implications, not only on our churches, as building and structures, but also on
us, as body of Christ. It is a lamentable reality that many churches today, turn
to be business places more than houses of prayer. Not only that everything in many
churches have commercial values, that all can be sold and bought, or all are on
sale, from the spiritual to the human or social things. But more regrettably is
that we preach more the materialism and worldliness than we do for God’s word. Put
aside our collections which need to be reformed, many things in our churches
are on sale. Sacramentals (water, oils, incense, books…) cost moon and sun
combined. Our preaches are 75% on money and material possession and 25% spiritual.
Some church leaders have turned into business men, busy at their trade and
nowhere to be found at God’s trade. We pretend seeking to secure our future, as
if God does not constitute our security.
Besides these things concerning the church as structure and
community that the list could be long, the other sad reality is the use we make
of our bodies, living temples. Human body has lost its dignity. It has turned
into a vulgar instrument. Pedophilia, homosexuality, abortion, sexual abuse,
drug, medical manipulation, prostitution, and many more. We seem not getting
the meaning of these words of Paul, “Do you not know that you are the temple of
God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” If it is that God dwells in our
bodies, all that we do to our body, we do it to God who dwells in its.
Consequently, all that we do to others’ body, we also inflict it to God. Sad to
say, but how much evil we do daily to God who dwells in us and in our brothers
and sisters.
Today’s feast sounds as a challenge to each of us to
rediscover the dignity of human body and also the holiness of our churches as ‘House
of God’. Just as ourselves like to live
in clean and serein environments, let us also keep holy and serein the dwelling
of God.
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