4. Why do we need an elaborate Church building to pray?

1.      We can pray anywhere; in our homes, outside, and in any ordinary building.

We can also pray at any time during the day or week.  We could say that there is no “time” or “space” which is off limits to worshiping God:

But we could also say that there are better times and better places than others,

(A quiet room in the evening is probably way better than Grand Central Station at rush hour!)

2.      Because our “time” and “space” is so full of activities other than prayer and worship, God has commanded us to set aside particularly “sacred time” during our week . . . the Sabbath . . . the Lord’s Day . . . Sunday.

Along with this, we also designate buildings, objects and artwork as “sacred” and for the sole purpose of worshiping God

3.      When we building a house for the Church….we also the house of God on earth,

Many of the things you see here in our church serve to remind us of Christ’s presence

Did you know that the Church can be spoken of as a Sacrament?

Sacraments:  Makes invisible things, visible to human beings.

In very much the same way that bread and wine makes visible the invisible reality of Christ,  the Church building shows to us the invisible reality of God’s glory.

The statues, the stain glass, and the fine furnishings are human ways of evoking the presence of God’s glory.

4.      We might say that, when we step into the Church, we are stepping out of “ordinary” time and space into “sacred” time and space:  It is a threshold with Eternity, and Eternity is our final and ultimate destiny.

5.      Our bishops teach us that, “The church building should be beautiful.

Inside and out the church building should be expression of the dignified beauty of God’s holy people who gather there ….and of the sacred rites they celebrate within the church building.

Church art and architecture reflect and announce the presence of the God.