{"id":533,"date":"2011-08-14T14:42:55","date_gmt":"2011-08-14T18:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=533"},"modified":"2011-08-14T14:46:35","modified_gmt":"2011-08-14T18:46:35","slug":"533","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/533\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, one of our churches at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish<\/a>, St. Januarius’, celebrated the dedication of its newly renovated sanctuary.\u00a0 The present church was built in the 1960’s.\u00a0 Another one of our churches is having some roof work done.\u00a0 Yet another is dealing with loose plaster.\u00a0 Just like we have to deal with maintenance issues on our homes, our church buildings need regular maintenance.\u00a0 That maintenance is important but why are our churches important for us?<\/p>\n

In today’s first reading<\/a>, the Lord speaks of his “house of prayer”.\u00a0 Our church buildings are to be “houses of prayer” for us.\u00a0 God is present everywhere but God is present in our churches in a special way.\u00a0 We have many items in our churches to help us remind us of how God is with us.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After becoming King, David set about to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7<\/a>).\u00a0 Before he could start, God spoke through the prophet Nathan to tell David it was not for him to build a house for God.\u00a0 That would be done by his descendant.\u00a0 God does not need a house to live in but, in our humanness, we need a place where we can focus ourselves on God.<\/p>\n

What do we have in our churches to help us focus ourselves on God?\u00a0 When we enter a Catholic Church, the first thing we might encounter may be Holy Water Fonts.\u00a0 We use the water that has been blessed to remind ourselves that we are baptized children of God.\u00a0 In the readings and the homily, we hear how we are called to live as baptized children of God.<\/p>\n

As we continue to look around the church, we will likely see the Stations of the Cross.\u00a0 In some churches, the Stations may be as simple as little crosses placed around the church or elaborate paintings depicting the story told in the Stations of the Cross.\u00a0 Big or small, the purpose of the Stations of the Cross<\/a> is the same, to remind us what Jesus went through in his final hours.<\/p>\n

We may see statues, paintings, or stained glass windows depicting the saints or biblical scenes.\u00a0 In doing so, we do not<\/em> worship the saints or any other object.\u00a0 We use these images of saints to remind us of the example the saints are for us in how they lived their lives in service to God.\u00a0 We use the biblical scenes in artwork to remind us of what God has done for his people.\u00a0 We do not worship the images for that would be the sin of idolatry.<\/p>\n

As our eyes move to the front of the church, we will see the ambo (other names may be the pulpit or lectern).\u00a0 Functionally, the ambo holds the readings but it is no ordinary word that is read from the ambo.\u00a0 The ambo is a special place of God’s presence because the Word of God is read there.\u00a0 The words of the Bible were written down by human hands for us but their writing was inspired by God.\u00a0 The Bible tells us the story of Salvation History so that we may always know how God has always watched over his people so we may live in hope, knowing God is there for us.\u00a0 The Bible also tells us the teachings of God so that we might know how we are called to live.\u00a0 The ambo is thus a focal point of God’s presence speaking to us.<\/p>\n

Turning our eyes from the ambo, we will see the altar.\u00a0 Actually, you probably see the altar before the ambo because the altar is always front and center in the church.\u00a0 The shape of the altar comes from the idea of a table.\u00a0 Jesus celebrated the Last Supper at table with his disciples but it was no ordinary supper.\u00a0\u00a0 It was the First Eucharist.\u00a0 At that meal, Jesus took the bread and wine and transformed them into his Body and Blood.\u00a0 The word we have for this change is transubstantion<\/em>, meaning the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus but it still looks like bread and wine.\u00a0 That is what we celebrate on our altar according to Jesus’ words “Do this in memory of me.”\u00a0 <\/em>But there is still more than that happening as we celebrate the Eucharist.\u00a0\u00a0If you look up the definition of the world altar<\/em>, it is place of sacrifice.\u00a0 Sacrifice means to give something up.\u00a0 Jesus said at the Last Supper (and we repeat it in the Eucharistic Prayer), “this is my body, which will be given up for you …. <\/em>(turning to the cup) it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.<\/em>”\u00a0 This is the intimate connection Jesus establishes between the Eucharist and his Crucifixion where he literally sacrificed <\/em>his life of the Cross for us.\u00a0 So the celebration is a central act and mystery of our faith.\u00a0 The altar is where this happens and so the altar is centered in our church.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the real presence of Jesus in the form of bread, we keep the consecrated host, the Blessed Sacrament<\/em>, in church.\u00a0 We have a very special place for it.\u00a0 It is called the Tabernacle.\u00a0 When we celebrate the Eucharist, the altar is the focal point because it is where we celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus.\u00a0 But when Mass is not in process, the Tabernacle is the place we can turn to know Jesus presence in our lives.\u00a0 Jesus is always with us.\u00a0 Jesus is present in a special way in the church and most profoundly in the Tabernacle and at\u00a0the Altar when celebrating Mass.<\/p>\n

Our churches hold the Ambo, the Altar, and the Taberancle.\u00a0 There are many other things in our churches.\u00a0 We do not worship the building, the paintings, or statues.\u00a0 We have all these things to point us to God.<\/p>\n

May our churches always stand as “houses of prayer” so that we may know the Lord.<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

Fr. Jeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, one of our churches at Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, St. Januarius’, celebrated the dedication of its newly renovated sanctuary.\u00a0 The present church was built in the 1960’s.\u00a0 Another one of our churches is having some roof work done.\u00a0 Yet another is dealing with loose plaster.\u00a0 Just like we have to deal with …<\/p>\n

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