Liturgy of the Day...

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The Lateran Basilica in Rome, the only church building whose dedication is celebrated as a feast, is an enduring symbol of the universal church.  Inscribed on its façade is “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput,” meaning, “mother and head of all the churches of the city and of the world.”  Originally completed in 324 CE, soon after Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, the Lateran    is a sign of the triumph of the faithful who survived underground for generations when Christians were persecuted.  Although we likely are gathered in a much humbler setting today, we are nonetheless inextricably linked to this historic church - our mother church.