THE CHURCH AS A LIVING TEMPLE OF GOD’S PRESENCE
Homily for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Bible Texts: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22 Church Dedication is one of the most symbolic traditions in the Catholic Church. It is a solemn act by which a building made of stone and wood is set apart for the exclusive worship of God. The rite proclaims that the structure is no longer ordinary, it has become a visible sign of the invisible Church, the dwelling place of God among His people. It is from this backdrop that today’s feast - the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica - holds a unique and universal significance. The Lateran Basilica in Rome was consecrated by Pope Sylvester I in the year 324 A.D. It is the Cathedral of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. It is the oldest Basilica in the Western world and the “Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and the World” (Omnium Urbis et Orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et aput). Through the centuries, it has stood...
