Today, we celebrate the dedication of the basilicas of St Peter and St Paul, two of the four major basilicas in Rome. The other two major basilicas are St Mary Major and St John Lateran. Our Church also celebrates the feasts of their dedications as well in our liturgical calendar. We just celebrated the feast of St John Lateran on November 9. The basilica of St Peter is perhaps one of the most well-known places of worship in all of Christianity. The current structure of St Peter began construction in the year 1506, but it was not completed until 1626 under the papacy of Urban VIII. The Basilica of St Paul's is often referred to as "St Paul Outside the Walls," as it was built by the Emperor Constantine in 324 along the Ostiense Way about a mile outside of the Aurelian Walls that surrounded the city of Rome. The Basilica was enlarged and renovated in the late 4th century, but was later destroyed by fire, with the new basilica built from what remained in the mid-19th century.
In today’s well-known Gospel story, we hear about Jesus expressing his righteous anger over what he sees going on in the Temple, how a place that is supposed to be centered on worship and prayer has become a place for its community’s business transactions and negotiations. It makes me wonder how Jesus would view our parishes and our places of worship today in our modern world, how he would view the liturgy and the other parish activities that take place here at our humble parish. The attitude of those he saw in the Temple so angered Jesus, incurring his wrath. What would he think of our attitudes, of the way we welcome the stranger in our midst, of the way we reach out to the poor and the oppressed in our community, of the way we take care of the church and use it to lift up our Lord and our faith?
As we come to Mass and come to church, let us examine the attitudes and actions that we bring with us. Are they befitting of a place that is set aside for community worship and for our holy encounter with God?
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