Prayers for Family

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Becoming Temples of God's Presence

By: Father Fulgens Katende, C.S.C. November 9th, 2026

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. It is the highest-ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome and the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome. It is the oldest church in the West, built during the time of Constantine. This feast became a universal celebration in honor of the archbasilica, the ecclesiastical mother church and the mother of all churches in Rome and throughout the world, as a sign of love for and union with the See of Peter. In the Gospel, Jesus enters the temple in Jerusalem. He finds people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, along with money changers operating in the outer courts. He makes a whip of cords, overturns the tables, scatters the coins, and orders them to stop turning His Father’s house into a marketplace. Many of us don’t want to imagine Jesus as the lash-out-in-anger type of guy, yet others might find themselves thanking God that we are not the only ones who get mad or raise our voices at our family members or friends.