The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – 09th November 2025
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint John Lateran – the Pope’s cathedral, and the mother of all churches in the world. But this feast is not really about a building. It’s about something much deeper: God’s living temple the people of faith, each one of us.
In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of water flowing from the temple – a small stream that becomes a great river, bringing life wherever it goes. That water is the grace of God, His love that flows endlessly, healing, refreshing, renewing everything it touches. When we let that grace flow through us, our lives become fertile again – full of peace and hope. But when we block it with pride, anger, or indifference, our hearts grow dry.
There’s an old story about a village well that went dry during a drought. The people said, “The spring has disappeared.” But one old man began to dig. He cleared away stones and mud – and soon the water began to flow again. “The spring never disappeared,” he said. “We had just covered it.”
So it is with God’s grace. It never stops. We only bury it beneath the weight of our sins or worries.