Day 5 - 1st Sunday of Lent - St. John Lateran

Sundays in Lent are still Sundays, even though it is Lent - the weekly commemoration of the Resurrection of Our Lord, and his victory over sin and death. Therefore they are days of celebration, little weekly mini-Easters (wanna-be's of the great Easter) and so fasting and abstinence are discouraged. In fact, in the early days of Christianity, and sporadically at other times, fasting on Sunday was actually forbidden.

For the First Sunday in Lent, the Church has chosen the grandeur of the Cathedral of Rome, St John Lateran, to symbolize this glorious victory of our Lord, and the Gospel theme today is that of his first earthly victory — over temptation. The Gospel passage for today in all three cycles of the Lectionary, is the story of the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness. Here Jesus takes up the consequences of the Fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden, and begins His work of restoration. Appropriately, the Old Testament passages today concern Noah, a prefiguration or prototype of restoration of the world after the destruction of the Flood.

Adam and Eve, in egocentric desire for self-assertion, were tempted by Satan to wrench control of their lives from God, and set themselves up in His place. "You shall be as gods! (Gen 3:5)" Satan promised. The result was devastating, and the harmony between man and God was destroyed.

The Temptation on the Mount by Duccio di Buoninsegna

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ADuccio_-_The_Temptation_on_the_Mount.jpg

In the wilderness, Jesus is tempted by Satan with worldly power and control. "The devil took Him up into a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms, and the glory of them, and said to Him: 'All these I will give you, if falling down you will adore me.' (Matt 4:8-9)" In contrast to Adam's response, Jesus answers, "Begone Satan: for it is written, 'The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and Him only shalt thou serve.' (Matt 4:10)" The New Adam, who lives to do the Father's will rather than his own, had made the first step in restoring the proper order, with harmony between God and man.

The Temptations of Christ - 12th century mosaic - St Mark's Basilica, Venice

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wkik/File%3A Temptations_of _Christ_(San_Marco).jpg

In 2014, on the first Sunday of Lent, Pope Francis gave powerful counsel to us in his homily on the temptation of Christ: "Notice how well Jesus answers Satan, not entering into a dialogue as Eve had done in the Garden of Eden. Jesus knows that you cannot dialogue with Satan, because he is too cunning. This is why Jesus, instead of entering into a dialogue like Eve, chooses to take refuge in God's Word, and responds with the power of this Word. We should remember this when we are tempted: do not argue with Satan, always defend ourselves with the Word of God. And this will save us."

According to the Canons Regular of John Cantius, one of the reading for Matins on the first Sunday of Lent was from a homily by Pope St Leo: "It is true," says St. Leo, "there is no season, which is not rich with God's gifts. His grace does ever give us an entry to His mercy, yet at this time the minds of all should be urged with greater earnestness towards spiritual progress, and should be animated by a trust in God, stronger than ever, for now the anniversary of that day on which we were redeemed is drawing near. Therefore, let us be moved to perform every work of godliness, to the end that we may be able to celebrate, with clean minds and bodies, that mystery, which excels all others—the mystery of the Lord's passion."

Pilgrimage:

The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, commonly called The Lateran Basilica, is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Rome, the official seat (having there the cathedra or throne) of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). It ranks first among the four Papal (major) Basilicas of Rome, above all other churches, including St. Peter's Basilica, hence its title of Archbasilica.

Main façade of the Basilica of St. John Lateran by Alessandro Galilei, 1735.

"Facade San Giovanni in Laterano 2006-09-07" by Jastrow - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Facade_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_2006-09-07.jpg

Above: Archbasilica of St John Lateran

By Livioandronico2013 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39798586

Carved into the front wall, between the main entrance doors, are the words Sacrosancta Lateranensis ecclesia omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput - translated, reads "Most Holy Lateran Church, of all the churches in the city and the world, the mother and head." (see photo below)

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AInscription_Ecclesiarum_Mater_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_2006-09-07.jpg. © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons, via Wikimedia Commons

The basilica was originally dedicated to Christ the Savior, later co-dedicated to St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist, and so it’s official name is Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist at the Lateran. Although it is outside the boundaries of Vatican City proper, the archbasilica is within the city of Rome, and enjoys extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See.

Right: St. John the Evangelist

by Rusconiby Jastrow - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano_2006-09-7.jpg

Below: St. John, the Baptist

by Johannes der Tauferhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARom%2C_Basilika_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano%2C_Hl._Johannes_der_T%C3%A4ufer_2.jpgBy Dnalor 01 (Own work)

Originally, the fort of the imperial cavalry bodyguard stood here on this site, established by Septimius Severus in AD 193. The equites (knights) of the guard fought for Maxentius at the battle of Milvian Bridge, so following the victory of Constantine I, in retribution, he abolished the guard, and the fort was demolished. The rest of the property was the site of the palace of the Laterani family. One of the Laterani, Plautius Lateranus, in the first Christian century, had been accused by Nero of conspiracy against the emperor, thus justifying confiscation and redistribution of his properties. (If you would like to see the excavations that have been done under the Lateran Basilica into the fort of the equites and the Laterani family palaces, look below for a short video in the Optional section)

The Lateran Palace came under the control of Constantine when when he married his second wife Fausta, the sister of Maxentius, and eventually he bequeathed it to the Bishop of Rome, probably around 313. The palace basilica was converted and extended, becoming the residence of Pope St. Silvester I in the early 4th century, and eventually, the cathedral of Rome. The palace was the home of the popes until 1309, when the French pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon, in France, and has been the site of 5 ecumenical councils.

The Papal cathedra (throne) in the apse is the reason why this basilica is the cathedral of Rome. It is the Pope's home base.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ALazio_Roma_SGiovanni2_tango7174.jpg

Above: Cathedra of St John Lateran

http://wdtprs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/cathedra.jpg

Right: Baldacchin 14th-century Gothic

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASan_Giovanni_in_Laterano__Baldacchino.jpg

During the Avignon papacy, two destructive fires ravaged the Lateran Palace and the basilica, and though in both cases, the Avignon papacy sent money to Rome for reconstruction and maintenance, the Lateran Palace and basilica lost much of their former splendor. When the Avignon papacy formally ended in 1377 and the Papacy returned to Rome, the Lateran Palace and the basilica were in such disrepair, due to the accumulated damage and lack of maintainence, that the popes ended up in the Vatican in a palace adjacent to the Basilica of St. Peter. It was supposed to be only temporary, but of course, the papacy remains in the Vatican today.

San Giovanni in Laterano - Interior - Nave and high altar

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARom%2C_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano%2C_Innenansicht.jpg

Above and below: Ceiling of St John Lateran

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARom%2C_Basilika_San_Giovanni_in_Laterano%2C_Decke_der_Basilika_2.jpg

On the left above is the stairway leading down into the confessio of St John Lateran, under the main altar and baldachin, while the steps on the right allow one to walk up past the baldachin, into the apse. The papal cathedra is just visible, far back in the apse.

http://kenlosoul.weebly.com/blog

The confessio beneath the high altar of St John Lateran with the statue of St John the Baptist

kveit5876s.jpghttp://commons.wikimedia.org/ wiki/File:Obelisk-Lateran.jpg

Below: The Holy Door of St John Lateran

by Peytonlow - CC BY-SA 3.0 File:Holy Door at the Lateran Basilica Rome.jpg

Above: The Obelisk

in front of the Lateran Palace

The Loggia delle Benedizioni, on the rear left side. On the left, the salmon colored building is the Lateran Palace.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ASan_Giovanni_in_Laterano_-_Seitenansicht.jpg

The Cloister of St John Lateran:

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163184

Notice the various columns salvaged from ancient pagan temples.

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=163184

The Sancta Scala

Across the street from the Lateran, is the Sancta Scala, or Holy Stairs — white marble steps protectively covered with wooden steps. According to tradition, they were the staircase of the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem and were sanctified by the footsteps of Jesus Christ during His Trial before Pilate. The Empress St. Helena, mother of Constantine had the stairs transported from Jerusalem to the Lateran Palace in the 4th century. The stairs lead to the Sancta Sanctorum or Holy of Holies, the personal chapel of the early Popes known then as the chapel of St. Lawrence.

At this station we have 2 more saints to add to our entourage, St John the Baptist, and St John the Evangelist. May their presence inspire us to holiness, even as they were made holy by our Lord. May they plead for us before the Throne, that we will have strength and courage in fighting our temptations.

We will return to the Lateran Basilica later in the pilgrimage (in fact, at the Vigil of Easter) when we will learn more about its importance to our faith. Meanwhile, you may want to check out the virtual tours below.

There are no collect churches for the papal basilicas.

Tomorrow we will visit with St Peter in prison, at the station of St Peter in Chains.

Optional activities

VIRTUAL TOUR

With your mouse, you can turn each picture to see a 360° view, or to zoom in for a closer look.

You may also want to follow along on a guided tour video:

You can maximize this screen by clicking the square in the lower right corner to get the full effect of the scenes.

Another option for the effect of walking through the Lateran Basilica. The background noise a bit overwhelming. There are closed captions. I recommend turning your sound off and enjoying in silence.

Video of the excavations that have been done beneath the Lateran basilica. You can see the remains of the barracks of the fort of the equites (knights), as well as the Laterani family palace.

Below is a super intensive 4 part series on the Basilica and its associated aurrounding structures. Each part is about 30 minutes long, but will immerse you in the history, art, significance, and beauty of the Cathedral.

Google Sites

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