Question about beautiful Churches

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fish90 said:
I thank you all for your contributions.
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Yes, I agree that I was edified by everyone’s (name removed by moderator)ut and the historical information was very helpful, too. I once saw an episode of Mother Angelica live that was being hosted by Jeff Cavins on this very subject. I happened to call in and this was my question," I know that nothing is wasted on Jesus. He has the sole right to the best we can offer, but as Westerners we have been given the gift of these Cathedrals to worship the Living God in grandeur. But what about the poorer nations , especially the third world countries that haven’t the means to erect such edifices for the glory of God? Are we to minimize the homage that they bring to God in their humility,simplicity and poverty? After all, wasn’t Christ’s first earthly*** throne*** a feeding box for animals, and His last earthly altar an infamous gibbet?
 
Even the very poor of the world try to make their places of worship as beautiful as possible to give honor and glory to God.
 
I recently read a great book about mother angelica where she had everything in the convent as plain as possible except the church where she said you cann’t overdo what you do for the lord. Jesus also said we will always have the poor. To further extend on the same concerning wasted money i was watching a news show a few years ago (60 minutes i think) they stated the catholic church spends over 1 million dollars a year just refurbishing art work. Look what that could do. Has anyine ever heard of this?
 
SHARINMARK said:
I recently read a great book about mother angelica where she had everything in the convent as plain as possible except the church where she said you can’t overdo what you do for the Lord. Jesus also said we will always have the poor. To further extend on the same concerning wasted money i was watching a news show a few years ago (60 minutes i think) they stated the Catholic church spends over 1 million dollars a year just refurbishing art work. Look what that could do. Has anyone ever heard of this?
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That must have been a story about the Vatican museum and the priceless, age-old relics from over the centuries, by the great artists like Michelangelo etc.This would be a worthy investment and duty to preserve these masterpieces that were inspired by God Himself. Incidentally, the Church is the largest charitable giver in the world. The secular press tends to leave those details out.
 
Lots of great replies; I especially appreciated Rolltide’s posts, and only wanted to add…

that the Church is physically present in the world. Christ established It that way. There are those who oppose the Church and who would love for every concrete sign of the Church’s physical presence in the world to vanish. So they criticise the apparent opulence of the Church, and tell us that, if we want to avoid being hypocrites, we should sell all church buildings, etc. What would be the result? The poor would continue to be with us, and there wouldn’t be any churches. Yes, the Church would always be spiritually present, but we live in a physical world, in which the physical aspects of our lies count, and the concrete presence of the Church needs to be felt and seen.

CeciliaS
 
Rolltide said:
Regarding the Vatican’s wealth:

You’re also forgetting that the pope doesn’t really live in all that much splendor. His apartment is simple. His street dress is generally a simple white outfit. His garments for MASS are splendid, but they don’t belong to him, nor would he wear them apart from Mass. Yes, he wears a $300 pair of donated Prada shoes, but for someone that’s on his feet all day and travels all over the world, is that really an extravagence? He doesn’t even earn a salary
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Spot-on, Rolltide, but I have one small correction to make: the Pope doesn’t wear Prada.
 
CeciliaS said:
The poor would continue to be with us, and there wouldn’t be any churches. Yes, the Church would always be spiritually present, but we live in a physical world, in which the physical aspects of our lives count, and the*** concrete presence*** of the Church needs to be felt and seen.

CeciliaS
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[bold’s mine]

“…Do you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit…”? How very true is your insight into the “Living Temple”…and the “humility of God",** Who** comes to us in His Body and Blood, to make us walking tabernacles…”.
We honor our King worthily, in every culture throughout the centuries, from the most humble Catholic missionary chapels in the huts of Africa, to the grandest Romanesque cathedrals; from the makeshift altars on the battlefield, to the majestic mountain monasteries…
WE ARE HIS BODY and** WE GIVE YOU ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY AND HONOR THAT IS DUE YOUR HOLY NAME, DEAR JESUS CHRIST, FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN!!**
 
Saint Francis of Asissi said “poverty in all things except the sanctuary”…it is to be adorned with beauty.
 
jewells17 said:
Saint Francis of Asissi said “poverty in all things except the sanctuary”…it is to be adorned with beauty.
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I remember in the movie, “Brother sun, Sister moon”, after Francis rebuilt the church at San Damiano, they rang the bells and gathered for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with all of the poor and they brought all of the beautiful flowers, the first fruits of their fields and adorned the Altar and sat around singing, “If you want to live life free, take your time, go slowly, do few things but do them well, simple joys are holy. Day by day, stone by stone, you’ll see Heaven’s Glory!..”.
 
m134e5 said:
One of the twelve disciples once criticized a woman for pouring expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and drying them with her hair. He said that the perfume could have been sold, and the money could have been given to the poor. That same disciple outdid himself there just a short time later- Judas sold Our Lord Himself for 30 pieces of silver.

The poor as well as the rich have the right to workship in those beautiful buildings. Architecture like that inspires the soul, and can help it meditate on holy things. There is nothing wrong with that.
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Nice analogy – St. Thomas More used this very passage when he was defending the construction and use of cathedrals against Protestant critics in the 16th century. 👍
 
How come nobody demands that all the museums of the world sell their artwork and give those proceeds to the poor? And sell all the public parks and other valuable public and semi-public lands and buildings?
 
Yeah…that’s right. And I know people that always put down the Catholic Church because of this very thing and yet when they went to visit an ashram in Virginia called the Lotus…they raved over it’s interior splendor and beauty. They would never talk like that over a beautiful Buddist or Hindu Temple…just Catholics Cathedrals and Basilica’s…how come?
 
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