For the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Nov 9, by Fr. Bob Keller, OP, in Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Church and Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Our parish church holds our most precious memories: baptisms, weddings, funerals and the Eucharist week after week. So when parishes merge or close, it hurts deeply. In today's A Word of Hope, filmed inside Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Church, we reflect on the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Pope's cathedral and the "mother church" of the whole world. It reminds us that we belong to something even bigger than one building.
In this reflection:
āŖ Why our parish church holds such a special place in our hearts
š The pain of parish mergers and closures in the American Church
šļø What the Basilica of St. John Lateran is and why it's called the mother church
š Every Catholic church is our home: one Eucharist, one family, from sunrise to sunset
š TODAY'S FEAST
Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (November 9)
ā¢ First Reading: Ezekiel 47:1ā2, 8ā9, 12
ā¢ Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 46
ā¢ Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:9cā11, 16ā17
ā¢ Gospel: John 2:13ā22
ā±ļø CHAPTERS
00:00 "This Is My Church"
00:45 The Pain of Parish Mergers and Closures
01:30 The Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran
01:50 The Mother Church of the Whole World
02:28 Every Catholic Church Is My Church
š¬ REFLECTION QUESTION
What memory do you have of your home parish? Or have you ever walked into a Catholic church far from home and felt right at home?
š Subscribe for a new A Word of Hope every day, and share this with someone who is grieving the loss of their parish.
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