Daily Retreat 02/07/06

2006 Feb 7 Tue: Ordinary Weekday

1 Kgs 8: 22-23. 27-30/ Ps 83(84): 3. 4. 5 and 10. 11/ Mk 7: 1-13

From today’s readings: "Listen to the petitions of Your servant and of Your people Israel which they offer in this place.... How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God!... This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me."

The House of God

A solarium is a room or gallery particularly exposed to the sun. An observatory is a building ideally situated for viewing the moon, the stars and other celestial luminaries. Certainly, sunlight can be felt in places other than a solarium, and the stars can be seen from vantage points other than an observatory, but this universal accessibility to sunlight and starlight does not negate the singular advantages afforded by a solarium for enjoying sunlight, and an observatory for beholding the starlight.

A church or a temple is a building dedicated to the honor and awareness of the presence of God. Can God be experienced outside of church? Yes, of course, for God is everywhere, but that does not mean that there’s no purpose for a church building! Sunbeams bath the whole world with light and warmth, but this is particularly true in a solarium; moonbeams reach every corner of the earth, but especially the telescope of an observatory. God listens to prayers wherever and whenever uttered, and He blankets all of creation with His blessings, but it is in the sacred silence and solemn sacramental celebrations of a church building where God uniquely deigns to demonstrate the intensity and permanency of His Real Presence.

Solomon’s solemn supplication at the dedication of the Temple is a reminder to us of why we have churches, and why we need to spend more time in them!