On this Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, I’m still carrying the grace of having recently walked through its Holy Door—an act of pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year, as a pilgrim of Hope.
The Lateran Basilica, cathedral of the Bishop of Rome and “mother and head of all the churches in the city and the world,” was first dedicated in 324 AD after Emperor Constantine gifted the Lateran palace to the Church. For centuries, it was the pope’s residence and remains a living symbol of the Church’s unity and mission.
Crossing the threshold of the Holy Door, I felt the weight of centuries and the light of promise. The towering apostles lining the nave seemed to welcome me into a deeper communion—not just with history, but with the heavenly Jerusalem we are called to build.
As I walked the central nave, flanked by towering statues of the twelve apostles—each bearing the instruments of their martyrdom—I felt surrounded by a living cloud of witnesses.
This feast is more than a commemoration—it’s a call, may we be “living and chosen stones” prepared for God’s eternal dwelling. May our journey on this Holy Sabbath mark a renewed desire to be built into that dwelling, to live as signs of hope, and to let God dwell among us.
Today’s feast reminds us that the Church is not merely stone and structure, but a people being built into the heavenly Jerusalem. We are those stones—called to be shaped, placed, and consecrated by grace. May this day renew our desire to be part of that dwelling, to let God dwell among us, and to build up the Church not only in grandeur, but in holiness.
Smitten With Goodness 