November 10, 2014
DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA
November 8/9 2014
Picture yourself driving through the mountains of northern New Hampshire or Vermont on a beautiful fall day like today. AS you turn a corner, you see down in a valley a typical old New England village: nestled at the foot of another mountain, against the backdrop of all the fall colors, you see a cluster of white buildings built around a town common. And inevitably, rising from those buildings is a tall, white steeple from the church in the center of town. Those towns are spread all over New England and the church steeples are a given.
Those churches always give us a message. Even in the remotest outposts, people gather together to form a community of faith; and we are reminded that in the midst of everyday life, God has chosen to make his dwelling among people.
Whenever we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, as we do this weekend, this is the image that comes to my mind. While that cathedral is hundreds of years old, it has the same symbolic meaning that our church buildings have today.
When we see a church in any city or town, even in Hudson, it is a sign of God’s presence in our midst and in the faith life of the people. There is an old custom that when people would pass by a church, they would tip theirs hats in deference to the presence of God in that church. And I still notice some men doing that as they pass St. Michael’s.
Even our gospel reading today focuses on the temple building . Jesus says “You have turned my Father’s house into a marketplace”. So many years ago the house of worship was also seen as God’s dwelling place and we continue to see it that way today.
Today’s feast is an opportunity to celebrate and give thanks that God still chooses to make his dwelling among us. That wherever people live, God wants to be there. And that the life of faith is alive even in small New England towns!