Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Living Temples: Honoring the Church and Those Who Serve

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, a feast that might seem distant or even obscure at first. After all, it commemorates a church building in a city far from here. But this feast is not just about a building; it is a celebration of who we are as the Church — the living Body of Christ in the world.

The Lateran Basilica is the cathedral of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and is called the ‘mother and head of all churches in the world.’  It is the oldest basilica in the West and the first public place of Christian worship after centuries of persecution. Its dedication marked a turning point in the life of the Church — a visible sign that the Body of Christ had a home in the world. So when we celebrate this feast, we are not simply honoring an ancient building; we are celebrating the unity, holiness, and mission of the entire Church.

This feast reminds us that the Church is not just made of stone and marble — it is made of living stones. That is, each of us. We are the Church. We are the dwelling place of God. The Spirit of God lives not only in our churches, but in our hearts and in our lives. We are temples of the living God, called to be holy, to be places where others can encounter Christ, and to be sources of life and grace in the world.

St. Augustine once said, ‘What is this house of God? It is you. Your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. If you want to be the house of God, be clean.’ This is the challenge and the invitation of today’s feast — to reflect on how we are living as God’s dwelling place. Are we building our lives on the foundation of Christ? Are we allowing His Spirit to flow through us like life-giving water? Are we a source of healing, peace, and unity in our families, our communities, and our world?

This week, we also observe Veterans Day — a time to honor those who have served our country in the armed forces. It is fitting that this celebration falls near our feast today. Just as the Lateran Basilica stands as a sign of the Church’s enduring mission, our veterans stand as signs of dedication, sacrifice, and service. They have given of themselves to protect the freedoms we enjoy, including the freedom to worship and to live our faith openly.

Veterans have helped build something lasting — a society where the Church can thrive and where we can live as temples of God’s Spirit. Their courage and commitment remind us of the virtues we are called to live as Christians: selflessness, perseverance, unity, and peace. They have defended the visible structures of our nation, just as we are called to build up the spiritual structure of God’s kingdom.

So today, as we honor the Church in its visible and invisible forms — in basilicas and in believers — we also honor those who have made it possible for us to live and worship in freedom. Let us be grateful for their service, and let us recommit ourselves to being living temples of God’s presence in the world. At this time, I would like to invite all veterans who are with us today to please stand, so that we may offer a special blessing.

Let us pray.

Lord God, source of all strength and peace, we thank you for the men and women who have served our country with courage and honor. As we celebrate the dedication of your holy Church, we ask you to bless these veterans who have dedicated themselves to the service of others.

May your Spirit dwell within them, just as it dwells within your Church. May they be filled with your peace, upheld by your grace, and surrounded by our gratitude. Strengthen them in faith, bless them with healing and hope, and let them always know the love of their Church and their God.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thank you, veterans, and may God bless you always. And may we all, as living temples of the Holy Spirit, continue to build up the Church with lives of faith, service, and love.