Are we ready?... You’re eyes are not playing tricks on you. I had the beautiful blessings of celebrating communion today at a church 300 miles from home that is exactly like the one I worship in back home. The building was the same exact footprint but there was something - different - happening inside. The windows bore the Beatitudes rather than the faces of saints. The marble altar and massive cross was a resurrected stain glass window and adoration votives lined the back walls. Our Lady had her place in the alcove and St Joseph was to her right. Even the songs were the same, the melodies were exact to the refrains of the other so much so that I had a hard time recognizing at moments that we were not in our church back home. The worship and the liturgy in that place and moment were surreal. I realized then in that moment how even though we were miles apart, we were worshiping together. And why not? Heaven knows no difference. In God’s eyes we are all one in Him. What difference does it make if the names on the sign out front are similar or different, or if the building follows the patterns of others or is wholly unique, whether we sing the Alleluia in the same key or even the same melody, whether we are solemnly focused on the lives of saints or starring at the technicolor resurrected Jesus. The details may be different but the elements are the same, bread and wine, one Christ one Spirit one Father who knows our name. It’s times like today I see how closer we are together than far apart we are. We just need to keep coming, to keep worshipping together. We need to keep trusting and let Jesus come into our everyday world in such a way that we can’t tell if we’re on earth or in Heaven. Now that would be surreal. Are we ready? #advent #ponderthat #hescoming #catholicphotography #churchpics #stainglass #wow #beauty #wonder #glory (at St Patrick Catholic Church of Mt Dora) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrwEYbhHAHU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4u3gyxny70hw
