The Basilica of John Lateran in Rome, is not just any building, it is the first official ‘home’ for the Church in Rome. It is considered to be the ‘mother church’ of Rome and is dedicated to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. The readings today keep our focus on the fact that the church is not only a building but a gathering (in Greek, ekklesia) of believers. John’s Gospel transforms the understanding of where we find God, not in sacred buildings but firstly in the person of Jesus. The Christian community later understood that even though Jesus was no longer physically present, God was still dwelling with them, in the community, so Paul spoke of the people as a Temple – a dwelling place of God. So really, today we are not celebrating bricks and mortar, but the flesh and blood people down through the centuries, including you and me, who are God’s dwelling place in the world, God’s Temple.