Homily for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

The first Christian emperor, Constantine, commissioned the construction of a church on land that once belonged to the Laterani family. This 4th-century church was the precursor to the present Basilica. The Baptistery attached to the current Basilica is where Emperor Constantine was baptized. Today, this Basilica serves as the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. It is considered the Pope's church as Bishop of Rome. For this reason, it is called the "mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world," including our parish church, where we gather for prayer and worship.

While our church is much smaller than the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, both serve as important monuments to the people's faith. In the first reading, Paul tells the Christians in Corinth, "You are God's building; you are God's temple." More fundamental than the physical structure we call a church are the people we refer to as the Church. The church building exists to help us express our identity as a community of faith called to worship God through Christ in the Spirit.

For our worship to be authentic, the shape of our worship must reflect the shape of our lives. Our entire lives should be a movement towards God, through Christ and in the Spirit. This is the essence of being the Church, the temple of God in the world, and it lies at the heart of our baptismal calling.