9 November 2025 #bothAnd
The countdown to the end of the liturgical calendar year is big-in-the-window, with only two weeks to go after sundown this evening. Our last Sunday of the year is November 23rd. For the past few months, the readings have spoken incessantly on how to be a Christian – pray without ceasing, nurture humility, and care for the poor, yes? This week is interesting, for we leave personal holiness behind and look for a moment at…. The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Yep. A day where we celebrate the brick-and-mortar space of the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XVI.
A little history, courtesy of Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, historian and friend of Constantine: In 312AD, while Christianity was flourishing under persecution, Emperor Constantine had a problem. His nemesis and current controller of Rome, Maxentius, practiced the art of sorcery and god-like enchantments which seemed to tip the popularity scales in his favor. Constantine wanted control of Rome, in a way which would show his domination of power and endear himself to the people. The question for Constantine wasn’t offering his allegiance to a god, it was the question of which one. Constantine’s parents, Flavious and Helen, came to prefer the powerful Christian God, the one-in-three called Jesus the Christ, or Christ of God, and since the other gods of choice seemed to abandon their adoring followers at crucial times, Constantine thought he would give this God a try.
Constantine entered into prayer and received a vision of a cross bearing the inscription, “By this symbol you will conquer.” While asleep later that evening, Christ appeared to him with the same cross and told him to emblazon it on all the standards, for this action would ensure his victory against Maxentius.
You guessed it, Constantine did as told, wins the battle, embarks on a spiritual journey of Catholicism (OCIA), publishes the Edict of Milan legalizing Christianity (313ad), and makes his mother, Helen, extremely happy. He also gives his large estate/palace on the Lateran Hill over to the church as the primary residence of the pope (Sylvester I) and converts it into a stunning place of worship.
That’s all well and good and quite interesting, you might say, but why create a feast day in honor of the dedication of a brick-and-mortar building? Excellent question. It’s complicated, as all hard questions are, but part of the answer lies in the Latin phrase, lex orandi, lex credendi, which translates as “the law of prayer is the law of belief.” The people had been holding this sacred space in prayer for a very long time. Keeping the structure out of the hands of the Church’s enemies also meant keeping the pope out of the hands of his enemies. The Lateran Basilica also became a symbol of hope and a sacred pilgrimage site. Finally, the Basilica is known as the “the mother of all churches in the world” and you know how it is with mothers. We should honor them every chance we get.
The readings today reflect this idea of honoring the sacred spaces that serve us well. These sacred spaces allow for worship to happen, sacraments to bestow grace, friendships to grow, and community to flourish. Perhaps you might want to honor your own ‘domestic church’ today. Bless your house with holy water. Set up a sacred space for prayer. Wash some windows and let in the Son-shine. Pray a rosary while raking the leaves. Sanctify the place you live… so that your lives will be holy too. #bothAnd