THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Her Doctrine and Morals

Dedication of Consecrated Churches

22 October 2023

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The Sunday

Sermon

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Dear Friends,

Today, Franciscans celebrate the dedication of all our Consecrated Churches worldwide. From the earliest days of the Order of St. Francis, Franciscans have had great love for the Churches. God asked St. Francis of Assisi to rebuild His Church, and Saint Francis understood to repair the dilapidated Church buildings. He gathered stones and materials with his own hands and repaired the walls. He cleaned and returned many Churches to their original purpose as places of worship that give honor and glory to God.

While the physical buildings are important, God wished for Saint Francis and his Order to rebuild the Church — the souls of the Church Militant here on earth. The Will of God is the conversion of the world to Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church. The Franciscan Order has labored at this since its inception.

The physical Church building is a vital element in the salvation of souls. Every true Catholic Church has a tabernacle containing the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar. There are usually many pieces of artwork designed to inspire us or lift our hearts and minds to Heaven with the Blessed Trinity, the Mother of God, and all the angels and saints. The vestibule, nave, Communion railing, and Sanctuary, where we advance from the world closer to the gates of Heaven, are filled with inspiration and meaning for every age and condition of the faithful.

Our faith and love for God inspire us to keep our churches neat and clean. The Sanctuary Lamp is burning to tell us that Jesus is in the Tabernacle. Votive candles are ready or burning to signify people's prayer requests. Our Catholic Churches are meant to be and should be to us Houses of Prayer. There is no place in the Churches for the materialism of the world. We should leave that at the door before we enter the House of God.

The Gospel reading for the Mass of the Dedication of a Church (Saint Luke 19:1-10) speaks of Zacheus, who prepared his soul and his house to receive Jesus by giving half his wealth to the poor and restoring fourfold to anyone he had wronged in the past. He took care of and dismissed all his monetary considerations and debts. He let go of all his material concerns, and then he was ready to receive Jesus. This is the example we are given to imitate every time we enter the House of God.

We should strive to leave the cares and worries of society, money, and material things outside and enter to give our souls, hearts, and minds to God. We need not concern ourselves with so many of these material things when we are before God. They will still be there when we leave God's House. Jesus has instructed us to seek the Kingdom of God and Its justice first, and everything else will be given to us besides (Saint Matthew 6:33). This is especially true when we are in the House of God.

The House of God is not our home, so we should adopt a proper attitude, comportment, and behavior suitable to be at the Gate of Heaven — In the Presence of God. The Church is not a public building nor a public place. The Church is not a place for conducting any worldly business or transactions. It is not a meeting place. It is not a restaurant. The House of God is not a place for talking to our neighbors, parties, plays, shows, or entertainment. There are places for all these things, and the Church is not the place for them. We must not become guilty of making the House of God into a den of thieves (Saint Luke 19:46). This will only call forth the wrath of Jesus against us.

The Churches are designed to inspire us with silent awe, where, as unworthy as we are, we may approach Jesus for the life and health of our bodies and souls. When we understand this, we try to make ourselves appropriate for our brief but intimate encounter with Jesus at the Gate of Heaven. We pay special attention to our souls by cleansing them in the Sacrament of Penance (Confession), and we wash our bodies and clothing. We put on and bring our "Sunday Best" every time we come before God in His House. There are exceptions, for example, when we stop in for a brief visit before or after work and only have the clothing we wear to work, but even then, we should strive to make ourselves as presentable as possible before we enter the Church.

We often hear people say that God sees them as they are and that they do not need to put on their best for God. It is not for God that we go through all this effort. God does not need us or anything that we can do. We must make these efforts for ourselves. We must do this to be most respectful of God, please Him, and hopefully receive greater blessings from Him. We must also make these efforts for the edification of our fellow Catholics. When we are appropriately behaved and dressed, we help inspire others to do so as well. Our ill comportment, dress, or behavior in the Church is a scandal to others. May we never forget what Jesus said about those who scandalize His Children (Saint Matthew 18:6)! It would be better for them to be drowned in the sea!

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!