ON  BUILDING  CHURCHES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my reflections or thoughts for this morning Mass on Christmas Eve  is, “On Building Churches.”

I really can’t call this a homily - because I’m just going to babble a bit about buildings called churches.

TODAY’S FIRST READING

As I read today’s first reading I smiled because it sounds like a great promo for starting a building campaign for a temple in Jerusalem. [Confer 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b - 12, 14a, 16.]

It uses guilt big time. And it has God using the guilt trip trap on David. God tells Nathan to tell David, “Hey you’re living in a palace and I’m in a tent.”

Then he uses more guilt as a motive for trying to get David to move it.  Tell David, “Hey after all I did for you, moving you from being a shepherd boy to a commander. Wherever you went, I destroyed all your enemies. I have made you famous, so David, what are going to do for me?”

Translation:  “I want a house. Moreover, I will make sure you have ancestors who will come after you and your kingdom will have no end.”

Well David fails. Excuses are made - for his procrastination. Hey David is a fighter - a warrior - a man of blood. Check out the rationalization in 1 Chronicles 28:3.

So the task falls to Solomon his son - and Solomon does it - in 7 years. [Cf. below - artists rendition of Solomon's temple.]

TEMPLES, CHURCHES, MOSQUES, SHRINES, WHAT HAVE YOU

If we travel this earth we’ll spot lots of bars and restaurants, hospitals and cemeteries, churches, cathedrals and temples.

I’m sure most of these houses for God that are still working have a brochure sitting there somewhere telling their origins and history - who had the idea of building here - and why.

I grew up in a parish with a gigantic church - but it had no steeples [above] - and now I'm in a much smaller church with a gigantic steepl. [below].

You can find our brochure in the back of this church - and I’ve seen various folks checking us out.

OKAY - NOW WHAT?

I could end here, but I would like to take a moment with a few more comments - so as to trigger in your minds and memories your church stories. So a question: you’ve been in many different churches in your life, which ones have a lingering memory?

To prime the pump, here is a short  list I came up with last night as I was working on this reflection. Talk to each other after this Mass and ask each other your specific church stories.

Years ago I heard a recording by Charles Laughton about his experiences in Chartres Cathedral [Picture above]. It’s about 50 miles southeast of Paris. It was THE Mary church and shrine in Europe. Sometime in one’s life time, one had to make a pilgrimage to Chartres. Hearing that recording made a trip to Chartres a lifetime dream of mine.   I finally made it there in 1996. It was even more than I expected. It triggered the stuff I read about all the work that goes into building these mighty big medieval cathedrals. While there I met a pilgrim who had her list of about 15 European cathedrals she had to visit in her lifetime. It gave me the idea of making my own list.

In 2011 I was going to Spain. About 6 people said I have to see Sagrada Familia in Barcelona [above].  I saw it. I saw why it is a must see. That gigantic church began in 1882 won’t be finished till 2026 - if then.

I always wanted to see Sancta Sofia in Istanbul [above]. It’s now a mosque - but it still retains some of the ancient Greek images of Mary and Christ [below].

Of course I’ve been to St. Peter’s in Rome and St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major - Lourdes, as well as the National Shrine of our Lady in Washington D.C. - as well as the famous Crystal Cathedral in Orange, California - which is now a Catholic Cathedral.[Below]

I wonder about all these churches that are closing in the United States. What about the people who love to pray in them? What about the donors? What about the stuff being taken down and taken away? What about statues and altars and stained glass windows donated in memory of?

I think about interesting churches. There was a church near Mansfield Ohio that had a balcony that extended down into at least the middle of the church. Instead of extensions, some pastor decided to extend within.  I was warned: “Preach from the sanctuary  - and don’t go down into aisle because folks up in the balcony won’t see you.” Now that was an interesting experience.

There was a church in Continental, Ohio that had about 12 benches. That was it. Then there was an alcove of about 6 benches over to the left. Then there was a door in that alcove that led to another building back off the alcove - where folks could watch the Mass on small TV sets. That was very interesting.

I loved the story about Sacred Heart Church in New Bavaria, Ohio [See 1975 picture above]. A group of people wanted a church, so the priest invited the bishop of the diocese to a church. Then they drove in a wagon down this road - and then way down this road, then back down this other  road and said, “See how far it is from the other church. We need a church here.” So the bishop said, “Okay.”  After it was all built, the diocese found out it was only a short distance from the other church.

Then there are those holy places on the planet. I remember standing at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem [above] and said a prayer. I felt that here was a holy place - that had been a holy place for the longest time. It’s base  was part of the base of an earlier temple. Then off to the right of the Western or Wailing Wall, there was a walking ramp up above everything. There were two mosques. I knew then and there I was standing on Holy Ground [below].

CONCLUSION

Sometime today go through your travels in your brain and memory and come up with your list of church building stories. See where that takes you. Amen.