Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

“Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” (Ps 122:1).

We need holy places! Holy places became the axes between heaven and earth,  awakening the awareness of God’s in-breaking into our  mundane human condition. Their presence in our communities reminds us of where we come from and where we are going!

Today’s reading from Ezekiel recalls the centrality of the temple for the Jews. Further the Responsorial Psalm reflects the sheer exultation the Jews felt visiting the temple – the symbol of their origin and destiny: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord”!    
Haven’t we all had similar experiences?

I recall visiting the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  I recall waiting outside with a large crowd of noisy tourists. But once within, we are over whelmed by the sacred splendor and we process silently to the magnificent Bernini high altar. Beneath the altar are stairs descending to a subterranean grave containing a little box with the bones of St. Peter. Here on Vatican Hill an obscure Jewish fisherman gave his life witnessing to Jesus.  Here our Church began.

We fall silent.

Near Mexico City I visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The shrine houses the miraculous portrait of Mary imprinted on the apron of the Mexican peasant Juan Diaz. Outside the shrine vendors loudly sell souvenirs. Inside the shrine barefoot peasants on their knees, and often in tears and carrying children, crawl humbly down the aisle to honor Mary and seek her help. Mary was here.
We fall silent.

And we all have our local holy places.  The statue of Jesus on the hill behind church often has visitors.

“Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!”
We need holy places!