Msgr. Pope on What Our Church Buildings Say About Us

"In the Mass for Thursday of the 25th week of the year, we read from the book of the prophet Haggai, who wrote at the time of the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile, which had begun in 587 B.C. The Jewish people were permitted to return to the Promised Land beginning in about 538 B.C. Haggai wrote his book in the summer of 520 B.C. and in it he scolds the people for concentrating on their 'paneled houses' while the Temple is in a ruinous state. He ties their weak piety to the failure of crops, their inability to enjoy what they have, and other calamities. 

"Zechariah, who wrote in the autumn of 520 B.C., also expresses concern for the poor state of the Temple and ties its rebuilding to future blessings, including the coming of the Messiah. . . ."

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how the building of beautiful churches says a lot about our priorities and where our heart lies, including how churches remind us of heaven and how us to keep God at the center of our lives.

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: What Our Church Buildings Say About Us (26 SEP 19)