33rd Sunday of the Year

From Pope Leos Homily last Sunday
for the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
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“Firstly, let us consider foundations.  Their importance is obvious and …..this is a cause for reflection.  As labourers in the living Church, we too must first dig deep within ourselves and around ourselves before we can build impressive structures.  We must remove any unstable material that would prevent us from reaching the solid rock of Christ (cf. Mt 7:24-27).  This is precisely what Saint Paul speaks about in the second reading when he says that “no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3:11).  This means constantly returning to Jesus and his Gospel and being docile to the action of the Holy Spirit.  Otherwise, we risk overloading a building with heavy structures whose foundations are too weak to support.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we diligently labour in the service of God’s Kingdom, let us be neither hasty nor superficial.  Let us dig deep, unhindered by worldly criteria, which too often demand immediate results and disregard the wisdom of waiting.  The millennial history of the Church teaches us that with God’s help, a true community of faith can only be built with humility and patience.”