SOMETIMES THERE’S MORE
THAN MEETS THE EYE
THAN MEETS THE EYE
The title of my homily or reflection for this interesting feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica is, “Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
There’s a difference between a wedding ring in a jewelry store window or display case than a wedding ring on the ring finger of someone who is married 43 years.
There’s a difference between a dozen roses in a galvinized metal bucket in a florist shop than a dozen roses handed to a daughter who was in a play after the play has ended.
From time to time a couple drop into St. Mary’s or any church and they try to find someone whom they can tell, “We were married here in this church 26 years ago today or this week.”
From time to time someone coming over the Eastport Bridge looks up and sees the tall steeple of St. Mary’s – with the cross shining – with glistening gold – overlooking Annapolis – and their faith is lifted. “Here our kids were baptized. Here we had a funeral Mass for mom. Here I came back to the faith.”
Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.
Sometimes some churches are more important than other churches – because they have a story that not everyone knows – but once someone hears it – or has a similar experience – then that church has more than meets the eye.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of the church of St. John Lateran in Rome. It’s just one more feast day in the Church – an odd one at that – but it became special to me – because I visited it 9 times when I was in Rome in 1984 for 4 weeks. I read its history – how it was the church in Rome – as St. Peter’s is today. From 324 till St. Peter’s was begun in 1506 and was finished in 1626 – St. John Lateran was the Pope’s main church. It still is, but St. Peter’s is the place everyone goes. Yet St. John’s in Rome is the Pope’s church and the home parish for the Church. I don’t know if he’s registered in either one of them.
There’s a difference between a wedding ring in a jewelry store window or display case than a wedding ring on the ring finger of someone who is married 43 years.
There’s a difference between a dozen roses in a galvinized metal bucket in a florist shop than a dozen roses handed to a daughter who was in a play after the play has ended.
From time to time a couple drop into St. Mary’s or any church and they try to find someone whom they can tell, “We were married here in this church 26 years ago today or this week.”
From time to time someone coming over the Eastport Bridge looks up and sees the tall steeple of St. Mary’s – with the cross shining – with glistening gold – overlooking Annapolis – and their faith is lifted. “Here our kids were baptized. Here we had a funeral Mass for mom. Here I came back to the faith.”
Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.
Sometimes some churches are more important than other churches – because they have a story that not everyone knows – but once someone hears it – or has a similar experience – then that church has more than meets the eye.
Today we celebrate the feast of the Dedication of the church of St. John Lateran in Rome. It’s just one more feast day in the Church – an odd one at that – but it became special to me – because I visited it 9 times when I was in Rome in 1984 for 4 weeks. I read its history – how it was the church in Rome – as St. Peter’s is today. From 324 till St. Peter’s was begun in 1506 and was finished in 1626 – St. John Lateran was the Pope’s main church. It still is, but St. Peter’s is the place everyone goes. Yet St. John’s in Rome is the Pope’s church and the home parish for the Church. I don’t know if he’s registered in either one of them.
St. John Lateran was sacked by 2 times: by Alaric and Genseric in the 400’s. It was destroyed almost completely by an earthquake in 896. It had fires in 1308 and 1360. On July 27, 1992 there was a bomb explosion – which did some damage. It was assumed to be the work of the Italian Mafia as a warning to Pope John Paul II for speaking out against the Mafia. It has been neglected as well as restored from time to time and they don’t have a second collection for that – but they had special collections. 5 ecumenical councils took place in it.
So once you hear a church’s history – once you visit its space and hear its story – that space becomes a place where there is more than meets the eye.
Every day of the year is not the same for everyone. Some days are different than other days - for example: Ash Wednesday, St. Patty’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas – as well as those anniversary days in our lives – marriages, births, deaths, this and that days.
Today November 9th is a special day for Redemptorists. Since the original name of St. John Lateran was the Church of Our Savior – St. Alphonsus began the Redemptorists this day in 1732 in Scala, Italy above Amalfi. He chose to call us the Congregation of Our Savior – and we might have ended up being called Salvationists – but that name was taken when a Father Villani went to Rome in 1749 to get our approval. So someone in the Vatican gave us the name, “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,” “Congregatio Santissimi Redemptoris” or CSSR for short.
Not every day is the same as any other day – some days are different than other days. What are your different days? What are your different places? What triggers what for you?
“Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
So once you hear a church’s history – once you visit its space and hear its story – that space becomes a place where there is more than meets the eye.
Every day of the year is not the same for everyone. Some days are different than other days - for example: Ash Wednesday, St. Patty’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas – as well as those anniversary days in our lives – marriages, births, deaths, this and that days.
Today November 9th is a special day for Redemptorists. Since the original name of St. John Lateran was the Church of Our Savior – St. Alphonsus began the Redemptorists this day in 1732 in Scala, Italy above Amalfi. He chose to call us the Congregation of Our Savior – and we might have ended up being called Salvationists – but that name was taken when a Father Villani went to Rome in 1749 to get our approval. So someone in the Vatican gave us the name, “Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer,” “Congregatio Santissimi Redemptoris” or CSSR for short.
Not every day is the same as any other day – some days are different than other days. What are your different days? What are your different places? What triggers what for you?
“Sometimes There’s More Than Meets the Eye.”
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