Praise God in his Sanctuary

I used to be of the mindset that if you've seen one old, European Cathedral, you've seen them all.

 

Until last weekend.

 

Even before entering, I was awed by the majesty of this building. I turned to Mary, "I don't know if I could really worship God in a place like this. I think the beauty...the architecture...would be distracting." Mary wisely responded that perhaps the idea behind the Cathedral's beauty was to point me toward God's beauty. I secretly dismissed the idea, being more of a 'God-connects-with-me-through-nature' kind of girl. Give me a mountain, or a lake, or an ocean and I'm set.

 

 

How wrong I was.

 

 

Never have I connected to God more through a church building. This place was a rich feast for my eyes; reminiscent of the creamy, coconut gelato I tasted in Italy. Everywhere I looked there was beauty. It was all I could do to slip into a pew and gaze, mouth slightly agape, in reverent awe. My mind held only one thought: "How awesome is God in his sanctuary." Incense doesn't usually appeal to me, but right then, I wanted even my sense of smell to be overpowered by this strong sense of God.

 

 

 

I was insignificant inside the Cathedral. In a good way. I was so small...I lost awareness of myself momentarily in the multitudes of columns and layers upon layers of arches.

 

 

It made me so excited for heaven...for beauty beyond comprehension that awaits us.

 

Countless dollars and hundreds of years...money and time that could have been spent on more 'important' things or given to the poor...worth every moment and every penny. It was the perfume that Mary Magdalene poured out on our Savior's feet.

 

 

What a deep love for God and a desire for him to be glorified must have been in the hearts of those who built this Cathedral.

 

My soul felt satisfied by this place. I didn't want to leave.

 

 

Psalm 150

 

Praise the Lord.

 

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing

greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the

trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

praise him with tambourine and

dancing,

praise him with the strings and

flute,

praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

 

Let everything that has breath praise

the Lord.

Praise the Lord.