One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic

~~Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome~~
~~~ Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12~~Psalm 46 ~~1 Corinthians 3:9C-11, 16-17 ~~~
~~~ John 2:13-22 ~~~

Every Bishop or Cardinal in the Catholic church
 has a church dedicated for their use.
Today we celebrate the setting apart of
the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father,
the Bishop of Rome...
Saint Johns Lateran Basilica.
Many years ago it was dedicated to both
St. John the Baptist
and St. John the Evangelist.

We are not honoring the building,
instead we are honoring what it represents to us.
It represents what we profess in the Nicene Creed...
one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

The church in spite of all of its failings unites us together as one.
Each Sunday when we gather together in our home churches
 we come as one people to worship together.

You are God’s building.

The church is holy, not because of its building materials,
but because we the people have been set apart as holy.
The church structure gives us a special place to experience
 his holy presence at each Liturgical celebration.
A place where our personal holiness is nourished with the Eucharist.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

We are then sent out to continue the work of Jesus.
All that God does is holy.
We therefore, by design are holy.

...for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

We are catholic, universal, welcoming to all peoples of every nation.

Our church doors are not closed we are not a private club.
In our local churches we are the ones who welcome friend and stranger.
We are the ones who greet parishioner and guest.

We are apostolic, connected to the original apostles.
We are apostolic, sent on a mission...a mission from Jesus.
Jesus chose one of his apostles, Peter, to build his church upon.
We continue to look toward Peter as the head of our church.
Through the years we have come to recognize the popes
as successors of the apostle, Peter.

...believe the Scripture
and the word Jesus had spoken.

As we go out into the world to spread the gospel
of love we must carry with us at least a thread
of the same apostolic mentality.

What we believe has come down to us from Jesus
 through the apostles through the popes.

We have been given the words of Jesus to carry with us
 as we go out into the world.

The LORD of hosts is with us;
our stronghold is the God of Jacob.

We are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
We are temples of the Holy Spirit.
We are the church of today.
Blessed with the ancient mission of Jesus himself.
~~~Spread Peace~~~