Homily Twenty-Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Isaiah 25:6-10a) “Give God the Best”
Homily Twenty-Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Isaiah 25:6-10a) “Give God the Best”
The idea of a final banquet at the end of all time is an important image in the Judeo-Christian tradition. We hear that image referred to in the scriptures that we read today. Isaiah prophecies about a final banquet that will be held on Mt. Zion. Jesus tells a parable about a king who throws a banquet which the invited guests refuse to attend. Jesus reminds us that God invites us to a meal.
We immediately think of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is our meal with God. The Mass is also our central liturgical celebration. Liturgy has always been important to God’s people. As soon as there was an understanding among humans that there is a God, there has been a desire to worship that God. Also, there has been a hunger to give something back to God as a part of this worship. What people wanted to give to God was the best of what they had.
We remember King David and King Solomon. After David had fought his many wars to unite the nation of Israel, he established his capital city, Jerusalem. When that city was firmly established, he desired to build a temple for God. He realized that this was a priority. He was not able to build that temple, however. His son Solomon was left with the task.
Solomon approached the task of building a temple with the philosophy that the temple had to be the most impressive building in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was where Mt. Zion was. The final banquet of God’s victory was to be celebrated in Jerusalem. All nations would partake in this other worldly celebration.
Solomon built his temple with the best materials. He used the finest white limestone which shimmered in the sun. He used granite. He had marble brought to Jerusalem for the temple. His temple was inlaid with gold, silver, brass, ivory and the wood from cedar trees was used. The building was truly one of the finest in the ancient world.
The tradition of building great buildings to worship the one God, since the time of Solomon, has been a priority of God’s people. Whenever a new city was established in the Middle Ages the central public square was the space in front of the Christian Cathedral. People took pride in that space. The general population might not have lived in great mansions, but they all could enjoy the cathedral and rest there with God.
When the Belgium immigrants came here to Moline, they were very poor. Many of them worked in the factories in our area. We can imagine that the immigrants were homesick. One of the first things they desired was a church of their own. At first, they built a multipurpose building on 17th Avenue. But they wanted to give God the best of what they had.
Fr. Culemans, with parish leaders, decided that they wanted to make a statement of faith. The Flemish Catholic community wanted to build a Gothic church like the ones they worshipped in at home. A Gothic church has soaring ceilings that raise our minds and hearts to God. Such churches have pointed arches. Usually they were built of stone. And of course, they had great windows of stained glass because a primary symbol of our religious faith is light and darkness. When a person enters a gothic cathedral, it was supposed to be an other-worldly experience. Always there are three main doors representing the Trinity, one of the great mysteries of our faith.
The Belgium community did use the best materials. The stone this church is built of is Bedford limestone from Indiana. The statues are carved wood. Several came from Europe. The architect was one of the best-known artists of his day, Zachary Taylor Davis from Chicago. The Moline Belgium community did not think small; no, they dreamed big.
Everything was to be the best. Which included the stained glass. The windows are a treasure. They are literally irreplaceable. The glass was meant not only to let in light, but to be used as a catechetical tool. Each window depicts a biblical scene. In, fact there is a biblical citation under most of the windows. If a believer wants to do a prayerful meditation on Christ’s life and teaching, they can walk from window to window with a Bible in hand and it can be a faith building experience.
The refurbishing of these windows has been taken over a year. The contributions have reflected a great sacrifice. We might not be able as a community to build a great new church, but we do have responsibility to maintain what we have been given. Let’s pray that our church will continue to be a physical statement of faith in the Moline community for many years to come. May the prayer here reflect the heavenly liturgy that we all hope to take part at the end of all time.
Reflection Questions:
- When I give a gift to charity is it from my excess wealth or is it a sacrifice? What difference does it make?
- Are church buildings and art an important part of my worship experience? Why or why not?