5th Sunday the magnificent Church

When and where is the greatness of our Catholic Faith revealed? 


Is it found within the magnificent basilicas, cathedrals, churches, monasteries and convents built by the people over these 2000 years?  Is it the incredible artwork, sculptures and music that fill them
Where and when have we witnessed the glory of our Catholic Church?


It is when and where one of us truly forgives someone who has hurt us; and when and where we accept forgiveness after hurting another.

It is when and where our compassion makes us reach out to those who are hurting. It is when and where our generosity lifts others from poverty and despair.

The greatness resides at 4th and Valley, where and when people are fed and cared for, shown their dignity, where and when people work to change our community for the good.

A powerful podcast was released in early January, called “Plague: the untold story of the Catholic Church and the AIDS crisis”. It recounts how men and women, lay and religious worked to help so many who were dying during that horrible time. That was the church being church.

Our church shines in those men and women, mostly unseen, going into the many nursing homes around here, bringing communion and visiting; reminding people they are valued.

We shine through our efforts to clean the world so that future generations can have clean air, water, and earth to live on.

We shine when we place aside our own egos and work together for the good of the many.  

The buildings, the rituals of our church are beautiful; they can be absolutely stunning. They are means to and end. To inspire us to mission, to see beyond ourselves; to imagine a world that can be just as magnificent, and then work to help build it.

God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, created us with so much potential. Jesus reveals this potential within to do so much, to make this world truly the kingdom of Heaven.

This building here..it is where and when a community, its people gather to be re-energized, re-committed, re-forgiven; and to be sent forth to be salt, to be light.


To where and When will we go?

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