Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, which from the beginning of the fourth century when it was given to the pope by Constantine, the palace of the Lateran was the principal residence of the popes, and continued as such for about a thousand years. The fall of the palace from its position of glory was the result of the departure of the popes from Rome during the Avignon period. Two destructive fires, in 1307 and 1361 respectively, did irreparable harm, and although vast sums were sent from Avignon for the rebuilding, the palace never again attained its former splendor. When the popes returned to Rome they resided first at Santa Maria in Trastevere, then at Santa Maria Maggiore, and lastly fixed their residence at the Vatican. After the fires, Pope Sixtus V then destroyed what still remained of the ancient palace of the Lateran and erected the present much smaller edifice in its place. The palace is now given up to the Pontifical Museum of Christian Antiquities. Today, The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Italian: Arcibasilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano), commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica, St. John Lateran's Basilica, or just The Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. It is the oldest and ranks first among the four Papal Basilicas or major basilicas of Rome (having the cathedra [chair] of the Bishop of Rome), and is the oldest church in the West.

Back to today?s readings and our own temples: we continue the theme of the last few weeks regarding our human body and its immortal soul after death?and what it will be like for us after the Resurrection. In order to do this, let us travel back on the road to Emmaus and consider what the disciples saw when Christ appeared to them:

Christ?s body was somehow ?different,? and at first the disciples were unable to recognize Jesus and thought He was a stranger?not an alien or extraterrestrial being or a ghost?but a stranger. The change in our bodies is connected in this weekend?s gospel to Jesus? comment in the Temple to the Jews when He said: ?Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.? The Jews respond with a comment of how long it took to build the temple and that Jesus? claim seems unrealistic. But we know, from hindsight, that Jesus was not talking about the physical building but rather He was talking about the Resurrection of the human body after death. The whole point of this conversation by Jesus is that the human person, complete with an immortal soul, is created in the image and likeness of God. And much like the Temple which was being abused?misused for purposes other than praising God?so too our human bodies (our personhood) can be misused and abused as temples of God?s Holy Spirit.
Let us consider this Gospel of John (2:13-22) as asking each of us directly how we ?use and respect our human temples of the Holy Spirit?our bodies?to praise God; how we misuse our bodies, even denying God and His Spirit within us?

1. Do we abuse our body with illegal drugs and legal medications?
2. Do we abuse our body with bad physical relationships?
3. Do we abuse our body with stress in search of material gain over spiritual intentions?
3. Do we abuse our body by self-inflicted illnesses, such as eating disorders and alcohol, abuse; with on-going plastic surgery, or deface it with pins, spikes, and full-body tattoos?
5. Do we fill our minds with good and holy thoughts, with prayerful conversation, or do we fill them with gossip, inane, petty conversation or material- oriented desires only?

Do we truly consider our bodies a temple, a dwelling place, of God?s Divine Spirit and what are we hoping to become after the Resurrection? Do we hope for a complete transformation in Christ?and expect to become like Him? All this hope in the Resurrection calls us to become true Disciples of Christ in this world. Sharing in His suffering?by being one with Him in caring for others and sharing in their lives so that we may also share in His glorious Resurrection and life everlasting. Eternity is a long time, a very long time, and the choices we make today have a direct bearing on all that we will become and lay the ground work for where we will spend our everlasting days. Let?s build-up a beautiful temple in ourselves to praise God just like the ancients did in building the Lateran Basilica, but may the one we build today withstand the fire!