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Today we celebrate the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. This building is the oldest and ranks the first among the four great basilicas in Rome (along with St. Peter's, St. Paul's, and St. Mary Major). It was donated to the church by the Emperor Constantine in 311, and since then it has been revered as the mother church of cathedrals everywhere.
Over the centuries, the Basilica of St. John Lateran has suffered earthquake, fire, and invasion, and each time it was rebuilt, restored, and improved upon. Among the relics it houses is the wooden altar believed to be the original altar on which St. Peter celebrated Mass.
Why celebrate the dedication of a church building? We know that the church is more than a building, however ancient or venerable. Still, this man-made, stone basilica stands as a symbol of the church, the people of God. It is a reminder to us that the church is a temple, a place where God dwells and is worshipped by his people. This church can never be destroyed by natural disasters or vandalism. As Paul asked the early Christians in Corinth: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit…
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