Building Up God's House

This is what the LORD then said to Moses: "Tell the Israelites to take up a collection for me. From every man you shall accept the contribution that his heart prompts him to give me. These are the contributions you shall accept from them: gold, silver and bronze; violet, purple and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; rams' skins dyed red, and tahash skins; acacia wood; oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; onyx stones and other gems for mounting on the ephod and the breastpiece. They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst." (Exodus 25:1-8)

I have sometimes heard others wonder aloud why we give our money to build big, fancy churches rather than putting that money to better use such as a charity for orphaned children or AIDS victims. Wouldn't Jesus want us to take care of His children instead of building huge cathedrals?

Certainly we are called to take care of those less fortunate then ourselves, and we should give a portion of our wealth (be it money, time or talent) to those in need. But as Catholics, we also should give a portion of our wealth to building the house of God much as God commanded Moses to do in Exodus 25.

In this chapter we read about God giving specific instructions on how the Jewish people are to construct the ark which will hold the rod, manna, and commandments as well as how to construct what would become the holy of holies where God would reside among His people.

As Catholics, we believe that Christ is present in a unique way when we celebrate the Eucharist. At the moment of the consecration, Jesus is present in body, blood, soul and divinity and remains so as long as the consecrated host and wine turned blood are in our midst. The tabernacle in a Catholic church becomes for us a holy of holies since God is truly residing with us.

For those who are not Catholic (or do not truly believe that Christ is uniquely present in the Eucharist) I can understand why there might be doubt about putting large sums of money into a building. After all, is a gymnasium or a classroom not sufficient for a service which amounts to a bible study given by a wise pastor or minister? In such scenarios I would be inclined to agree that extravagant buildings with rich tapestries, colorful murals and precious metallic accoutrement are simply means of showing off one's wealth.

But if in fact God is truly present in that place, then shouldn't we offer Him the very best that we can? A Catholic Church IS the House of God, and to do anything less than to give him our first fruits would be to disrespect His sovereignty and power.

In Matthew 26:6-11 we see Jesus affirming the actions of a woman who pours costly perfumed oil on Him. His disciples argued that the oil could have been sold to provide for the poor, but Jesus rebukes them stating that the poor will always be there, but He will not always be there. Should we assume then that Jesus covets the oil or claims to be more important than the lowly poor? Surely not. Instead our Lord is affirming the command the Father gave to the Israelites by confirming that they should offer their best for their Messiah.

We as Catholic Christians are called to do nothing less.

Seeing is Believing

You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them. (Exodus 20:4-5)

Protestants break this commandment out as a separate one of the ten given to Moses (and combine coveting of neighbor's wife and goods). Many of them will typically point to this commandment when arguing that Catholics use statues and icons in their worship which is forbidden.

I can see where their confusion comes from, but I believe they are misinterpreting this verse in the Old Testament. My understanding of this rule is that God is telling the Israelites to neither (a) create a statue and worship THAT STATUE, nor (b) do not worship created things in place of the Creator. On both counts, Catholics are not at fault. We do not create icons and statues in order to worship the statue itself, nor do we worship any of God's created things.

Some non-Catholics are misguided in thinking that we worship Mary or the saints, both things that are created by God. In fact, we do not worship these men and women, but rather honor them as examples of brothers and sisters who provide models for a grace-filled life and faith in God.

When we place artwork in our churches of Jesus or the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove or a tongue of fire), we are not worshiping the artwork but using it as a visual representation -- something that we can focus our senses on to assist in our prayer life. God incorporates man's senses in to all His covenants. Whether we see a rainbow in the sky, read about Jesus curing a blind man with mud and spit, or see John the Baptist baptizing Christ in the Jordan, we see how God understands that we as humans are created to incorporate our senses into how we worship Him. The very fact that He sent His Son to become man suggests that He desired for us to SEE him in a tangible way.

So do not design a sculpture out of dollar bills and worship the materials in the sculpture. Do not embalm a cow and pray for "udder" happiness. And do not wear a lucky rabbit's foot, a charm bracelet, or carry a special coin in your pocket and place your faith in the object itself. But if you hang a crucifix in your home, or burn incense, or place a holy card of St Christopher in your car to serve as reminders that we should trust in God and turn to Him at all times, then delight your senses while proclaiming Him as the Lord your God!