Zeal For God's Temple

Today is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, otherwise known and the Basilica of St. John Lateran.  It was built by the Emperor Constantine, on property bought from the Lateran family and was dedicated in 324 AD as the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior.  It was the seat of the Bishop of Rome where the Popes resided until the 1300's, and has undergone several renovations and additions over the centuries and been rededicated to Sts. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, but remains "the Pope's Church."This Feast recalls the excitement over the building of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem and the Temple rebuilt after the Babylonian Captivity in 538, as well as for the dedication of this basilica.
 Having a "house for God" has been a long tradition; people take pride in their churches around the world.  In Rwanda, as the Catholic population swells, existing churches are being enlarged, and new ones built.  I some areas of the United States, magnificent structures built with the pennies and labors of immigrants are now being closed, yet where the Catholic population has shifted, new ones are rising.
The future of the Church, however, is in the youth of today, and although many are from non-practicing Catholic Families, they are hungering for "something more" and are turning back to the Church to satisfy that hunger.  Let us pray that the zeal for God's house, God's Family, the Church continues to grow and spread.
Bro. Rene