[markomalley]

In every age people spend money building beautiful temples to their gods. If you want to see what gods a society worships look around for the beautiful buildings. Which buildings in our cities are built with marble, fountains, high ceilings, silver and gold fittings, oriental carpets and fine furnishings? Banks and insurance companies mostly. There you find the temples we have built to our gods. Then look at so many modern Catholic Churches--built on the cheap with tawdry materials, cut corners, shoddy workmanship, poor design by ignorant architects who are working for their own glory trying to 'be creative'. A beautiful, traditional Catholic Church protests against all of that vulgarity and low life with great dignity and power.

That would leave a mark...if anybody was listening.

[FoxPro]

Amen.

[Salvation]

**That would leave a mark...if anybody was listening. **

I agree!

[ArrogantBustard]

[mlizzy]

Click photos for more images.

[bobjam]

The pagans of the Roman Empire worshipped their gods in beautifully built marble temples that dominated the city architecture. Filled with gold and ivory decor, no expense was spared.

Meanwhile. the Apostles and early Christians worshipped the Risen Lord in houses, barns and caves.

[ArrogantBustard]

The last point (and I could go on) is that a church is not just a meeting place. It is a house of prayer.

More than that it is where the Blessed Sacrament, in which Our Lord is truly present, is housed. As such, it is "in use" 24/7/365 even if no mere human persons are present.

[trisham]

So why should Catholics build beautiful churches? Lots of reasons. First of all, our faith is an incarnational faith. We believe that the Son of God took flesh of the Blessed Virgin and entered this physical realm of human history. That transaction within history registers as the expression of God's everlastingly beautiful glory and power alive in this world. So a Catholic Church that is beautiful and built to last is a witness to the incarnation. It's beauty also represents the sacrifices of time, talent and treasure to build such a temple fit for God. "This is not just a meeting hall!" the beautiful Catholic Church proclaims. "This is a temple where God dwells in our midst as Christ his Son came to dwell in our midst."

**************************

Building a Church is another way of worshipping God? I think so.

[Sergio]

Bookmark.

[trisham]

The last point (and I could go on) is that a church is not just a meeting place. It is a house of prayer. It is a place that becomes hallowed with prayer. Therefore it must be a place that lifts the heart to prayer. The human heart is vulnerable to beauty. The beauty of worship and the beauty of a church building lifts even the hardest heart to prayer. In a beautiful church people's hearts are opened. They stop and gaze and lift their eyes upward and as they do the fall to their knees, and even the most unlearned stumble and mumble the words their stuttering tongues seek to find: Holy, Holy Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.

*******************

That gave me goosebumps. Very inspirational.

[johngrace]

Some times We forget the very essence of Jesus. Jesus would go alone from the noise and the maddening crowds to be alone. One with the Father.

All the noise and crazy sounds of modern life. It helps to get away to be alone with our Lord.

I do devotionals before I go to Church. The Catherdals or Churches are that solitude that Jesus would seek at times. When I go into my Church I put my hand in water which reminds me of my baptism. Then bless myself of the very words of baptism. Then I walk and pass a stained glass window that depicts the original Baptism of Christ. Oh! How the Holy Spirit is so alive and sweet an tender to my inner most being! Then all is one with me. Oh precious Jesus! And it goes on and on!

I literally walk past the living Gospel of stained windows with God's light (The Sun)from his creation streaming through to my very soul. Which is understood by any speaking people because it is a picture not a language. A pictures is a thousand words as stated at times.Also in a thousand languages to be told from the stained glass stories. Which are so beautiful at times. Showing and reminding me of the Great stories of faith to live even today.

God blesses this so much its earth shattering. I am transported to a God plane. When I see Our Jesus on the cross. I am lifted too. Here is a God Man Who acted like this to visual say I love you this much to open his arms stretched to hug. To Die for you and me! What a God! Then it goes on and on. How beautiful!

Psalm 103

Of David.

1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.

22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

[Salvation]

And at the same time build a beautiful soul for Christ within you.