Celebrating a building?

I once saw an old prayer book which contained a picture depicting the grace of the Sacraments as rivers flowing from Mother Church portrayed by Saint Peter Basilica in Rome. Today we celebrate the more fitting image, the "mother and head of all the churches of Rome and the world" - the Lateran Basilica, consecrated in the late 324 on land given by the Laterani family. The Lateran, dedicated to the honor of Saint John the Baptist, is the cathdral of the Diocese of Rome and the mother of all churches. It was dedicated within 15 years of the Edict of Milan in 313 when Constantine lifted persecution of Christians. Building a consecrated church building was that important to the early Church. God does not need buildings nor beautiful decorations but we need churches to give us an environment in which to learn faith and discover God. The world needs our churches as reminders of His presence in our midst. We are caled today to be zealous for the Lords house and make of our churches places of real beauty and sacred worship. These buildings and the worship happening within them inspires us to make of our souls living temples where God is alive and adored by our manner of life. The river of grace then flows from Christ in the Eucharist through us and all the Church into the world as we spread the Good News.