Reflection on the Feast of Dedication of St. John Lateran (Bro Aloysius Tan)

Today, we rejoice with the universal Church in the feast of the dedication of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. Yes, you can consider it the “parish church of all Catholics”.


Tracing the history of this basilica, you will be amazed at how it “survived” numerous natural disasters-- fire, earthquake and the destruction of war since the fourth century till 1646 when Pope Innocent X built the present structure.

As this feast celebrates on the gift of the Church’s “structure”, we cannot forget to thank God for the gift of the Church as well as its people and experiences. The Church, in its 2,000 years of history, had a roller-coaster ride of experiences in the form of “human” disasters both from inside and outside the Church.

History has shown that “man made” organizations, groups and political powers come and go but the Church has remained firm despite the advent of an era that challenges her teachings, messages and witnessing. The Church continues to grow and strives to be the sign of God’s presence on earth. Thus, as we celebrate this feast, let us also rejoice over our identity as One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Christ itself.


As we reflect on this celebration of dedication, we cannot restrict it as merely a celebration of the dedication of a building or structure but a “dedication” of life in you and me as “Church”, as followers of Christ that are fully alive and active in spreading the Good News, to be witnesses and to let the love of God flow freely in our lives and the life of humanity as a whole. So, dear friends, this feast is also a celebration of you and me as members of the Church, as part of this communion of faith and living, we can dedicate ourselves as “church” through our commitment of love and service to each other and to all of God’s creations. Our struggles will definitely make our “church” stronger and more visible. Happy Feastday!


“Heavenly Father, may the Church which is founded by Your only Son, Jesus Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit continue to GROW in faith, GLOW in its witnessing and GO in its zeal of spreading the Gospel in the daily struggle of humanity. May You protect and guide our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in wisdom and love as he leads us in this mission! Amen!”

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Stay tuned for the next post by Bro David Arulanatham on 11th Nov 2009.