NOTES for Joh 2:13-22

If you think about it, it is strange to see in the series of Christian feasts a feast of the dedication of one specific church. The events of Christ's life, the feasts dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the saints, — all this is understandable. But a building, why is it so important to us? Of course, the history of the Lateran Basilica is interesting: after all, it remains the church of five councils and the place of coronation of popes. But today I want to speak of something else: this basilica itself has become a symbol of the life of the Church, which, despite everything, is reborn where only ruins are visible.

The Lateran Basilica changed repeatedly, it was destroyed by fire, by earthquake, everything of value was carried out of it: at times not a stone was left upon a stone in this place. And every time the Church as a community of people restored it. This is not a manifestation of stubbornness, this is a visible statement of the fact that the Church as a community lives not because it is not destroyed or because hothouse conditions are created for it. It is vivified by a different power. As the Gospel reading for this feast reminds us, the proof of Jesus' power is the fact that death has no power over Him. Neither fire, nor earthquake, nor wars, nor people will prevent the restoration of what, it would seem, had already turned into ruins. Because death and destruction have no power where He gives life.