Bishop Schrembs no doubt chose this date to coincide with the feast of the dedication of John Lateran, the major basilica of Rome which is known as “the mother and head of all the churches in Rome and around the world.”
During the first three hundred years, Christianity suffered wave after wave of violent persecution, because Christians refused to worship the false pagan gods of the Roman Empire. As a result, throughout the empire, Christians were arrested, imprisoned, interrogated, tortured, and killed. Because of the persecutions, Christians couldn’t risk building permanent church buildings. They would celebrate Mass in private homes or in the catacombs.
Things changed only when Emperor Constantine, the son of St Helen, issued the Edict of Milan in 313, legalizing Christianity and bringing the age of state sponsored persecution to a close.
The first church built in this new era of Christianity was St. John Lateran. It’s the oldest church building in the world.
After Christianity was legalized in 313, St. John Lateran was the domicile of the Pope for a 1000 years--the place from which he taught and guided the Church for a millennia.
Throughout the centuries, St John Lateran has survived fires, earthquakes, barbarian invasions, and world wars; she is the oldest church in Europe, and in a sense is symbolic of the universal Church, who has survived schisms, heresies, corruption, and government persecution—the storms and chaos of nearly two thousand years.
We know, deep down that the Church is bigger than our buildings. After all, the Church worshiped underground for our first three hundred years, and the Church has been forced back underground in many places around the world over the centuries. We don’t need church buildings.
But they are a focal point. They symbolize our highest aspirations and God’s desire to gather his flock together. Just as this building is important for us and this neighborhood, St. John Lateran is important for the whole Church.
The Lateran Basilica stands as a reminder, of how the tiny, poor, non-military religion of Christianity withstood the force of the great Roman Empire; it reminds us of the heroic virtues of the martyrs and the grace of God that sustained them in their sufferings; that the Church will withstand all of the attacks of hell until the end of time.
And this feast reminds of us the need to continue to work for the flourishing of the faith in our own day, that to keep this building going, souls need to come here, be baptized here, encounter the Lord here. This building was constructed by hands other than ours, parishioners who would come and carve stone and wood after working 8 hours, families who mortgaged their homes to finance its construction, but now our hands, time, talent, and treasure, are required for its continued existence.
May we be faithful to all the Lord asks of us in our own day for the building up of the Church, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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For the purification of Holy Church, and for all Bishops and clergy, that they may always lead us in fidelity to the saving Gospel of Christ.
For the parish of St. Ignatius of Antioch on this anniversary of its dedication, for continued blessing upon the people of the parish in continuing our Gospel mission.
That the Christian faithful may continue to nurture and discover their spiritual gifts for the building up of the Church.
For those who have left the Church, for those who have grown lukewarm, for those in mortal sin, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.
For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.
In a special way during this month of November we pray For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased priests and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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