November 18
Dedication of the Basilicas of St Peter and St Paul
Wednesday, week 33 in Ordinary Time — Year II
Today the Church commemorates the Dedication of the Basilicas of St Peter and St Paul, two of the most significant churches in Rome and in the Christian world. This feast recalls the consecration of these great basilicas, built over the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, both martyred in Rome and regarded as the pillars of the early Church. St Peter's Basilica is located in Vatican City, marking the site where tradition holds St Peter was martyred and buried. The Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls stands on the site believed to be where St Paul was buried after his martyrdom.
Both basilicas were commissioned by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, as Christianity became legalized and openly celebrated throughout the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, these basilicas have been rebuilt, enlarged, and adorned, reflecting the love and devotion of generations of Christians. They are both important sites of pilgrimage. This celebration is more than a commemoration of two buildings; rather, it is a reminder of the spiritual foundation of the Church, built upon the faith and witness of the apostles.
By celebrating the dedication of these basilicas, the Church honors the memory of Peter and Paul, prays for unity around the successor of Peter (the Pope), and recognizes the continuity of faith rooted in the apostolic tradition. The feast encourages the faithful to see themselves as part of a living, growing Church, called to witness by their own lives, just as Peter and Paul did unto death.
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The liturgical day
Mass readings
ReadingAp 4, 1-11
I, John,
after this, I saw:
and behold, there was a door open in heaven.
And the voice I had heard,
like the sound of a trumpet,
spoke to me, saying:
“Come up here, and I will show you
what must happen next.”
At once I was seized in spirit.
Behold, a throne was there in heaven,
and on the Throne sat someone.
The one seated
had the appearance of jasper or carnelian stone;
all around the Throne was a halo of light,
with an emerald glow.
Around this Throne, twenty-four thrones,
where twenty-four Elders sat
wearing white garments
and, on their heads, golden crowns.
From the Throne came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, peals of thunder,
and seven blazing torches burned before the Throne:
these are the seven spirits of God.
In front of the Throne was something like a sea,
as clear as crystal.
In the center, around the Throne,
four Living Creatures,
having countless eyes in front and behind.
The first Living Creature was like a lion,
the second Living Creature was like a young ox,
the third Living Creature had a face like a man,
the fourth Living Creature was like an eagle in flight.
The four Living Creatures each had six wings,
with countless eyes all around and within.
Day and night, they never stop saying:
“Holy! Holy! Holy, Lord God,
Ruler of the universe,
the One who was, who is, and who is to come.”
Whenever the Living Creatures give glory,
honor, and thanks
to the one seated on the Throne,
the one who lives forever and ever,
the twenty-four Elders fall down
before the one sitting on the Throne,
they prostrate themselves
before the one who lives forever and ever;
they cast their crowns before the Throne
saying:
“You are worthy, Lord our God,
to receive glory, honor, and power.
It is you who created the universe;
you willed it and it was:
it was created.”
– The word of the Lord.
PsalmPs 150, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Praise God in his holy temple,
praise him in the firmament of his power;
praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him according to his greatness!
Praise him with the sound of the horn,
praise him with harp and lyre;
praise him with strings and flutes,
praise him with dance and tambourine!
Praise him with resounding cymbals,
praise him with triumphant cymbals!
And let every living being
sing praise to the Lord!
GospelLc 19, 11-28
At that time,
as they were listening,
Jesus added a parable:
he was near Jerusalem
and his listeners thought that the kingdom of God
was going to appear at any moment.
So he said:
“A man of noble birth
went to a distant country
to be given royal power and then return.
He called ten of his servants,
and gave each a sum equivalent to a mina;
then he told them:
‘While I am away, do good business.’
But his fellow citizens hated him,
and they sent a delegation after him
to say:
‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
When he returned, after receiving royal authority,
he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money,
to find out what their business had earned.
The first appeared and said:
‘Lord, the sum you gave me
has been multiplied by ten.’
The king replied:
‘Well done, good servant!
Since you have been faithful in so small a matter,
you shall have authority over ten cities.’
The second came and said:
‘The sum you gave me, Lord,
has been multiplied by five.’
To him also, the king said:
‘You likewise, be in charge of five cities.’
The last came and said:
‘Lord, here is the sum you gave me;
I kept it wrapped in a cloth.
Indeed, I was afraid of you,
for you are a demanding man,
you take up what you did not deposit,
you reap what you did not sow.’
The king said to him:
‘I will judge you by your own words,
bad servant!
you knew that I am a demanding man,
that I take what I did not deposit,
that I reap what I did not sow;
so why did you not put my money in the bank?
On my return, I could have recovered it with interest.’
And the king said to those standing by:
‘Take this sum away from him
and give it to the one who has ten more.’
They said to him:
‘Lord, he already has ten times as much!’
— I tell you:
whoever has will be given more;
but the one who has nothing
will have even what he has taken away.
As for my enemies,
those who did not want me to reign over them,
bring them here
and execute them before me.’”
After saying this,
Jesus went on ahead
to go up to Jerusalem.
– Let us acclaim the Word of God.
Liturgical texts: © AELF — aelf.org