Why do we have a feast celebrating a church in Rome? What does it mean for us?
We celebrate this church not so much for its stones which could, like the temple in Jerusalem, one day be destroyed but for what it signifies: a Church united in love. Here we are really speaking about the temple of Christ’s body. (Gospel for the Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran: Jn 2:13-22)
St. Paul says the we are God’s building. Each stone needs to be connected and united to the other stones. Imagine if some of the stones in a building decided to leave or if they began to push out or damage other stones. Soon the building would be in ruins.
God is the architect of the building and he knows what he is doing. Even if one stone doesn’t see why some other stone is included in the building, the stone should remember that the stones aren’t greater than the architect. Without the architect, they can do nothing.
If you want to think more about how Christian “stones” can be united, read No Christian Prays Alone.
You might also like to read The Parable of the Tower.