The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
It’s common to hear fallen-away Catholics say, “I don’t need to go to church to pray,” as a way to justify not attending Mass. Though the statement does not give anyone a pass to skip Mass, it’s not entirely wrong.
It’s true: the external signs of our faith are not the fullness of our faith. As children of God, we have the very life of God present to us in a real, tangible way, allowing us to have access to God whenever, wherever. If we would just be aware of God’s presence, literally with us in the present moment, we would sin less and have a heck of a lot more peace.
More often than not, we forget about the “Spirit of God that dwells” in us. Living this side of Heaven, the enemy seeks to distract us and even convince us that there is no Kingdom beyond this world, and most certainly not dwelling inside of us.
The external signs of our faith, from the rosaries we carry in our pockets, to the scapulars we wear around our necks, and seen most magnificently in our parishes, cathedrals, and basilicas, are all streams that ultimately flow from the Heavenly home that awaits us with the Father.
So while we do not need to be in a church building to be aware of the presence of God, the more often we find ourselves in sacred spaces, the easier it becomes for us to recognize the sacred in ourselves and the world around us. The externals of our faith and our physical practice awaken our bodies to the “holy dwelling of the Most High” alive in us.
The Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome is not merely a celebration of a construction project; it is a reminder of the importance of remembering the interior castle in each of us where God dwells. This great Basilica was erected after Christianity was made legal in the Roman Empire. Its grandeur, rising out of an age when Christians had been driven into the catacombs, is a challenge to us to allow the Spirit of God to emerge from the depths of our hearts to the surface.
May the Father’s house not remain in our hearts as an abandoned shack, but shine forth with “zeal,” reminding all souls that there is an eternal home for them with the Father.
Allie Moroney is a Catholic writer and creative whose work invites others into deeper intimacy with Christ through beauty, presence, and truth. She is an American wife, mother, and disciple, currently living in Spain. Read more from Allie on her Substack or follow her on Instagram.
