Each year, the solemnity of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran is an opportunity to remember that the Church is not only a stone building, but a living people. This Sunday, November 9, the Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to "dig" deeper, to encounter the rock that is Christ. Through a homily that was both practical and spiritual, he offered a luminous reflection on how to build the Church of tomorrow today.
The symbol of the basilica: stones of living faith
The mother of all churches
There Lateran BasilicaLocated in the heart of Rome, it is much more than a monumental building. It is the cathedral of Pope, the first officially consecrated church in Christian history after the persecutions, and remains a symbol of the liberation of the faith under the Roman Empire. It was this church that Leo XIV recalled as "the sign of theLiving Church »".
Solid stones for a spiritual temple
Before more than 2,700 faithful, the Holy Father described a striking parallel: just as the builders of old dug deep to ensure stable foundations for the basilica, Christians Today, they too must dig deep within themselves to reach the rock of Christ. Without this foundation, the Church risks rising on the shifting sands of trends and immediate successes.
“To dig,” he emphasizes, “is to purify oneself, to rid one’s soul of the unstable materials of pride, haste, and superficiality. It is a demanding but fruitful task, for it opens onto peace internal and on the possibility of building in truth.
Digging before building: a lesson in spiritual patience
Dig slowly to build solidly
THE Pope He was not content with an architectural image. He made it a rule of spiritual life: a Church is not built through quick projects or spectacular initiatives, but through patience and the’humility“Let us be neither hasty nor superficial,” he insisted; haste is often the enemy of wisdom.
It is in this active slowness, nourished by faith, that relationships, vocations, and communities are strengthened. A hasty Church builds on fleeting emotions. A patient Church draws from the bedrock of the Word, prayer, and daily service.
Zacchaeus: a model of authentic conversion
To illustrate this humilityLeo XIV turned to the figure of Zacchaeus. This wealthy tax collector, short in stature, did not hesitate to climb a sycamore tree to see Jesus pass by. An almost childlike gesture, yet profoundly spiritual. By accepting to humble himself in the eyes of the world, Zacchaeus was elevated in the eyes of God.
THE Pope He sees in it the image of every Christian called to "lighten themselves" in order to welcome Christ: it is only by recognizing our limitations, by renouncing appearances, that we become capable of welcoming the grace that transforms.
Conversion as an inner foundation
Building on Christ first requires an inner excavation. In every heart, foundations must be laid: faith, hope, love. And like any construction, this involves repeated efforts, revisions, and sometimes reconstructions. But, as Leo XIV affirms, every sincere effort, even a discreet one, contributes to building what he calls "God's great project.".
The Church, a living and communal project
The project requires a shared effort.
The image of the construction site runs throughout the homily of PopeIt aptly conveys the idea that the Church is in motion, never finished, always under construction. This construction site is not that of an ivory tower, but that of parishes, families, and dioceses. It demands everyone's energy, even if the work seems slow or difficult.
Leo XIV did not hide the current challenges, particularly within the framework of the ongoing Synod: debates, resistance, and questioning. But he encouraged the faithful not to lose heart. "At the cost of much effort, a great good grows," he reminded them. The fruit is worth it, for God works over time, like an architect who neglects no detail of his creation.
Growing up together, despite differences
The Holy Father also emphasized the community dimension of this work. The Church is not a mere collection of believers, but a communion of souls united in charityGrowing together means accepting slowness, differences, and sometimes hurt feelings.
This mutual patience then becomes an evangelical sign. Where the world seeks efficiency and visible success, the Church chooses slow maturation, dialogue, and discernment. It is in this tension between diversity and unity that the beauty of the ecclesial body is forged.
Rome, a model of perseverance
Addressing his own diocese, Leo XIV invited the Romans to rediscover this confidence in slow growth. The Church of Rome, the mother church for all others, bears a particular responsibility: to show that it is possible to move forward together, even in the midst of trials.
“Let us not allow difficulties to prevent us from recognizing the good that is growing,” he urged. Every effort to sustain charityEvery gesture of unity, every authentic liturgical celebration contributes to shaping an ever more maternal face of the Church.
Beauty, liturgy and communion: God's style
The simple beauty of rituals
In the final part of his homily, Leo XIV broadened his remarks to include the liturgy. For him, the way the faith is celebrated reveals something about the foundation of the Church. He advocated for a "solemn sobriety" characteristic of the Roman tradition: no decorative exuberance, but a clear, ordered beauty, at the service of God.
Liturgical beauty, he reminds us, is not a matter of aesthetics or taste. It is a spiritual pedagogy: it teaches contemplation, gratitude, and leads to unity. A beautiful, humble, and prayerful liturgy becomes a universal language, capable of uniting believers from all cultures.
A liturgy that forms the heart
This attention to beauty aligns with the conviction of Pope that "beauty is only love In the liturgy, this phrase of Saint Augustine finds its fulfillment. Love It becomes visible in gesture, in silence, in communion. Those who participate in Mass, if they do so with a sincere heart, leave transformed, ready to radiate this grace received.
Thus, building the Church on Christ also means taking care of one's way of praying together, so that faith may take flesh in authentic rites that bring unity.
Building on the Rock: A personal appeal to all
An interior project first and foremost
Leo XIV placed the heart of the Gospel message back at the center: the Church is built first and foremost in each believer. Digging down to the bedrock is not a beautiful spiritual metaphor for a Sunday homily. It is a call to concrete action. It is about choosing depth over surface. loyalty instead of impatience.
Every Christian is a "living stone," called to be rooted in Christ. Whether priest, religious, layperson, young or old, everyone participates in the same building.
And as with any construction project, some days seem fruitless: the walls struggle to rise, fatigue sets in. But the master builder, God himself, continues his work with infinite patience.
The rock of Christ against the illusions of the world
The world often pushes us to build quickly: projects, communities, identities. But what has not been founded on Christ eventually crumbles. The exhortation of Pope is therefore of burning relevance: only the depth of the Gospel resists the shocks of time.
To build upon Christ is to choose to live charity Before prestige, service before recognition. loyalty before success.
The Church on the path to unity
In conclusion, Leo XIV invited the faithful to leave filled with confidence. Yes, building a Church requires effort, perseverance, and dialogue. But he reminded them that the Holy Spirit acts through these human weaknesses to give shape to a greater work: a united, rooted, joyful Church.
And it is on this rock, living and indestructible, that God continues to build his people.
