Beloved in Christ,
As the Church celebrates this Sunday, the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, I could not resist the "temptation" of recalling my visit with thirty-two other pilgrims to this sacred space on September 18, 2025. As the picture of the basilica suggests, it is outstanding in its beauty and grandeur. The architectural grandeur highlights the glory and majesty of God. This basilica is a symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope.
As this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word reveals, the temple of God is more than a physical building. It is a physical building in a direct sense, but more importantly, it is a sacred place that demands reverence because it is the place where we encounter God. In this chosen and consecrated place, God's name is honored forever (see 2 Chronicles 7:16). On a deeper level, it serves as a metaphor for the Body of Christ. The physical building, the basilica, reflects the true nature of the Church, which is constituted as the body of Christ, the central place of worship. As Jesus says in the gospel, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). As it was later clarified, "Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body" (Jn 2:21). Jesus identifies his body as the New Temple, succeeding the old covenant temple we read about in our first reading from Ezekiel 47. And from this New Temple, the Body of Christ, flows all the graces for redemption, especially the Sacraments of baptism and the Holy Eucharist. The body of Jesus is the church, the focus of worship and fount of grace. The Lateran Basilica is symbolic of Christ; it represents and reminds us of the true nature of the Catholic Church.
We, too, are in a sense a body of Christ. We are the temple of the living God; we are part of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone (cf. Ephesians 2:19-22). Hence, we should respect our bodies because the Spirit of God dwells in us. As St. Paul would also say, we should offer our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (cf. Rm 12:1). Do we now have a deeper understanding of the nature of the Church? Do we understand how it is a sacred place and the dwelling of God? Do we also know that we are, in a sense, the body of Christ, we who are made in the image and likeness of God, chosen and consecrated for the glory of God? We should consider these realities more often and what they demand of us.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode, OP
As the Church celebrates this Sunday, the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope, I could not resist the "temptation" of recalling my visit with thirty-two other pilgrims to this sacred space on September 18, 2025. As the picture of the basilica suggests, it is outstanding in its beauty and grandeur. The architectural grandeur highlights the glory and majesty of God. This basilica is a symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope.
As this Sunday's Liturgy of the Word reveals, the temple of God is more than a physical building. It is a physical building in a direct sense, but more importantly, it is a sacred place that demands reverence because it is the place where we encounter God. In this chosen and consecrated place, God's name is honored forever (see 2 Chronicles 7:16). On a deeper level, it serves as a metaphor for the Body of Christ. The physical building, the basilica, reflects the true nature of the Church, which is constituted as the body of Christ, the central place of worship. As Jesus says in the gospel, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up" (Jn 2:19). As it was later clarified, "Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body" (Jn 2:21). Jesus identifies his body as the New Temple, succeeding the old covenant temple we read about in our first reading from Ezekiel 47. And from this New Temple, the Body of Christ, flows all the graces for redemption, especially the Sacraments of baptism and the Holy Eucharist. The body of Jesus is the church, the focus of worship and fount of grace. The Lateran Basilica is symbolic of Christ; it represents and reminds us of the true nature of the Catholic Church.
We, too, are in a sense a body of Christ. We are the temple of the living God; we are part of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone (cf. Ephesians 2:19-22). Hence, we should respect our bodies because the Spirit of God dwells in us. As St. Paul would also say, we should offer our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (cf. Rm 12:1). Do we now have a deeper understanding of the nature of the Church? Do we understand how it is a sacred place and the dwelling of God? Do we also know that we are, in a sense, the body of Christ, we who are made in the image and likeness of God, chosen and consecrated for the glory of God? We should consider these realities more often and what they demand of us.
In Christ,
Fr. Alayode, OP
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